This In-Between Space
by Dirigible0Plums
Summary: After Voldemort's death and the end of the war, two unlikely people are brought together by tragedy and a secret. Can this unlikely pairing help each other to heal and allow themselves to accept the feelings developing between them, or will one of them get in their own way?
1. Chapter 1

Greetings readers! First of all thank you for giving my poor story description and title a chance and taking the time to click on the link to my story. This is my first story ever and I have worked fairly hard on it. That being said, I am neither perfect nor a professional writer, I'm not even pursuing writing for my future, so I ask you forgive any mistakes (grammar, spelling, etc.) that I may make along the way. For those who care about these things, this story is more than halfway finished and I plan to update regularly at a whopping once a week (maybe earlier if I get feedback!).

So without further ado, here is my attempt at fanfiction and a story that pairs two unlikely characters. I welcome any and all comments, questions, concerns, and constructive criticism to this story and anything Harry Potter related. Regrettably, I am not JK Rowling and neither own the characters in this story nor am I making a profit in any way off this story.

Hope you enjoy!

oOo

When Luna's father died, Remus was the one who came up them, the man in Luna's arms as she knelt upon the grass. The blood is bright red surrounding her right eye, contrasted against the transparent blue of her eyes and the paleness of her skin and hair. Lupin's heart goes genuinely out to her, knowing what it's like to have a loved one fade in his arms. He briefly recalls his once-twelve year old student, not easily forgotten with her unique character, her dreaminess a quality he had always found endearing about her. Lupin knelt before the Lovegoods, saying Luna's name quietly.

"I can't do anything," Luna says it as a statement, though there is a tremble and rising panic in her voice. Lupin notices her bloody hand shaking over her father's chest as her eyes well with silent tears, searching his face as if for help or a solution.

"I'm sorry," is all Lupin can offer, wishing it was more, as Luna nods choking on a dry sob.

"Come Luna, your injury, it needs to be looked at," Remus tells her gently but firmly. He knew there was nothing more that could be done for Xenophilius Lovegood.

"But," Luna says quickly.

"He will be well looked after," Remus assures her. He sees Luna's eyes dart briefly to Bill standing a respectable distance behind Lupin and then back down to her father for a long moment. Remus almost thinks she's going to ignore them before she looks up at him, nodding once.

The tears finally fall from Luna's eyes and she closes them shut, leaning down to press her forehead against her father's, whispering quietly to him what Remus assumes to be final farewells. Remus has to look away, the scene too similar to one he's lived through himself, though he had not been nearly as composed or silent as Luna is now. When Remus hears Luna place a kiss on her father's skin he turns to her again to see her close Zenophilus' eyes gently with her thin fingers and carefully easing him from her lap, placing his head gently against the grass.

Remus helped her up and allowed her to lean against him as they began their walk back to the others, Bill staying behind to look after Xenophilius' body. Luna's steps are heavy and slow as they move, her breathing uneven. Remus was just about to ask her if she needed a break when she let out another sob, her face contorting into one of clear emotional pain as she covered her mouth with one hand and the other to clutch at Remus' shirt as she lost strength in her legs.

Remus' quick reflexes luckily caught the thin girl around the waist before she fell completely to the floor. It seemed that Luna's previous show of strength and composure was beginning to crumble as the poor girl struggled to breathe through the sobs wracking her small body. Again Remus felt his chest tighten at seeing his former student go through such pain.

Remus knew from experience that there was nothing he could do for Luna but offer gentle support. There were no words that could offer her comfort so shortly after the death of her last family member, the memory and blood still too fresh. Before Remus could think through his actions, he had swooped down tucking one arm under her knees and the other around her upper body to carry her in his arms, offering her support quite literally.

Luna for her part did not seem to mind or even notice what on any other occasion might have been strange and out of character behavior for her ex-professor who was usually so reserved and withholding with what could be considered physical displays of affection. Luna only turned to bury her face against the front of the older werewolf's coat as it was the nearest soft surface, a steady stream of tears flowing from her eyes and whimpers straying from her lips.

Remus' stared at the girl solemnly, continuing on towards the rest of the Order with Luna Lovegood carried securely in his arms. He contemplated briefly on the slight weight of the young girl, a somewhat unfamiliar yet not unpleasant weight.

It was a long walk back to the Burrow and Remis held Luna closer to his chest, secure in that he would not let her fall as he walked. Remus also ignored the thought in his mind reminding him that he was a wizard and more than capable of apparating, and used the extra time to instead focus on thoughts of the future and what would become of them all.

oOo

Luna closed her eyes and tried to visualize what it would be like to sleep underwater. She thought about what it might feel like to have water in her hair, making it flow around her face and upper body as she floated deep below the surface, the feeling of sea grass tickling her feet and the backs of her knee. She wondered if a few curious guppies might be brave enough to swim amongst her long hair or the folds of her clothes. She imagined sleeping deep in the depths of the ocean would lull her quickly to sleep, bubbles and distant whale songs accompanying her into dreamland. Merlin only knew nothing on land had helped her sleep well in months.

It had been a difficult time as of late in Luna Lovegood's life. Everywhere around her people were hurting, only just beginning to heal. Luna had lived through pain before, years ago when her mother had died. Before a few months ago, it had been the most painful experience Luna had ever had. It had taken a long time for Luna to fully heal, but Luna had had her father at her side to offer her support and comfort, and the world was still beautiful and continued to spin on, waiting happily for Luna once she had healed.

It was all different now of course, now that the war was over. So many had lost their lives during the final battle. While it was a miracle that Voldemort was finally dead, it was not without the sacrifice of many, leaving loved ones behind to mourn together. Despite it being a relief the Dark Lord was finally gone once and for all, with the wake of so much destruction left behind, it was difficult for many to focus on the good when there was yet so much bad to get through. Many had suffered as consequence to the war, high amongst them were the Weasley family who had been through so much, who had risked so much as being the pseudo-family of the Boy Who Lived.

Luna had been living with the Weasley family all summer at the Burrow. It had felt like a good idea at first. After everything that had happened, Ginny Weasley had insisted that Luna stay with the red-headed brood, and Luna being touched by her friend's offer had accepted. That wasn't to say that Luna's stay at the Burrow had been all smiles as past summer's in another time might have been.

The Burrow had been depressingly quiet the past couple of months as everyone was healing at their own pace from all that had happened. The Weasley family was still mourning the death of close friends such as Alastor Moody, Tonks, Dobby, Sirius, Dumbledore, and so many others, not to mention two beloved sons, Fred and Charlie Weasley. To say that the atmosphere at the Burrow was bleak would be an understatement.

Ginny was crying for her brothers, particularly Fred to whom she had been close with, and trying not to let it bother her that Harry was rarely around or when he was, he was mostly quiet. Ron too was mourning his brothers but also exhausted from the year he had had Hurcrux hunting and seemed to be sleeping hours on overtime to make up for all the hours he'd lost while on the hunt. Hermione was preparing to go in search of her parents in Australia. Percy was wracked with guilt over his brother's death, and both Molly and George rarely left their rooms. Arthur Weasley meanwhile spent most of his time in the shed, and during the times Luna did see him, she immediately noticed his rounding shoulders, carrying the weight of his family taking its toll.

On the rare occasion the family found something to smile about, the atmosphere would almost immediately revert back to a sad one now tinged with guilt, as if everyone thought it was much too soon to be laughing.

While Luna could certainly empathize with the Weasley family and their sadness, she couldn't stand more than a couple hours of being around them.

Luna felt like an intruder in their pain feeling their loss was mainly a family affair, but then she also felt like an outsider in their joy as she no longer had anyone to share it with.

To be perfectly honest, Luna wasn't sure how much longer she could stand staying amongst the Weasleys, and she knew that something had to give if she wanted to hold onto her sanity, but Luna wasn't sure how to help herself. She hadn't been for what felt like a very long time.

"Luna?"

Luna opened her eyes to stare up into the scarred, albeit still ruggedly handsome face of Bill Weasley.

"Hello Bill," Luna hoped that the small smile on her face was enough to ease the concerned frown on the older man's face, but apparently it seemed Bill was unconvinced as his expression did not change.

"May I join you," the eldest Weasley asked. Luna thought it peculiar that someone would want to join her among the cabbage patch in the garden. Bill had never struck Luna as a particularly garden-inclined type of wizard.

Bill easily made his way into the cabbage patch and took his seat amongst the soil next to Luna. He sighed as he sat and stayed silent a moment, looking out into the fields beyond where Luna was staring. For a moment, Luna thought he was going to grace her with his silent presence, but then he spoke, "They're driving you crazy aren't they?"

Luna stared sharply at Bill with large eyes, though she couldn't hold his gaze for long. The guilt seeping into her chest made her look back at her lap with shame. She was once again reminded of how wrong it was of her to feel that way. The Weasley's had been nothing but kind and gracious to her the past few months, and here she was wishing she could get away to have some time to herself, preferring to be deep in the ocean with nothing but guppies for company when she had friends up here on land.

"It's alright," Bill said with a brief chuckle before his voice turned solemn, "the Burrow can be a stifling place even at the best of times. I imagine now it must be absolutely suffocating."

Luna concentrated on not letting her head nod with agreement.

"That's why I've got something to ask you," Bill said.

Luna's chin rose with curiosity as she listened closely to what Bill had next to say.

oOo

Fleur frowned as she stared out the kitchen window to the garden beyond where a small figure could be spotted sitting amongst the cabbages.

"How long has she been sitting out there," Fleur asked, turning to direct her question at Arthur Weasley who was sitting at the kitchen table with a now-cold cup of tea between his hands. Bill sat across from him, and empty cup next to his hands. A third cup sat still full in front of the spot next to Mr. Weasley where Molly Weasley had previously sat for a few minutes before having excused herself to rest upstairs. Fleur supposed it was an improvement that today Mrs. Weasley had lasted an entire twenty minutes before having excused herself when just two months ago she had absolutely refused to come down for anyone.

Mr. Weasley wasn't much better as he stared unseeingly into his tea cup, needing Bill to prod him gently on his hands to get his attention.

"What? Oh yes, what was that Fleur," Mr. Weasley asked, blinking his tired eyes before drawing his attention to the Frenchwoman.

Fleur smiled sympathetically, not faulting Mr. Weasley at all in his slow response. "Luna," Fleur clarified, "How long has she been sitting out in the garden?"

"Luna? Oh," Mr. Weasley muttered as he seemed to wrack his brains for the memory. "She's been out there since early afternoon I believe."

Fleur's eyes darted to her husband who caught her gaze and frowned. He too seemed to realize how strange it was that this was perhaps the fourth time Luna had been in the garden sitting and doing nothing when they had come to visit.

"Is that normal for Luna," Fleur asked as Bill stood up to stand beside her, staring out the window to where Luna sat.

Again Mr. Weasley seemed to think hard before he responded, "Come to think of it, she spends most of the day out there. I do think Luna's taken quite a liking to gardening lately."

Fleur frowned at this response, turning to stare out into the garden once again and at Luna, who was very clearly not gardening at all but simply sitting, her back to The Burrow.

"You know, we do appreciate the visit," Mr. Weasley stood, "But I really do think I should check on Molly."

"Dad are you sure," Bill asked, concern for his father evident, but Arthur only shook his head and waved his hands.

"Really Bill, you worry yourself too much. I'm fine," Arthur insisted, "Please, help yourselves to whatever's in the kitchen. Fleur, a pleasure as always."

Fleur smiled weakly and watched him shuffle upstairs, her heart breaking a little for the older wizard. She was sure it must be difficult for Mr. Weasley, having to remain strong and tall for his family as they all mourned when he too had lost two sons. Fleur herself was lucky that her parents and sister had been safe in France and that Voldemort had died while his forces had been still restricted only to Britain. Fleur's heart went out to her husband's family who had been through so much.

Fleur squeezed her husband's shoulder comfortingly, who was still staring off at the stair where his father had just gone up. Fleur knew it was difficult for Bill as well, having lost two brothers, but he was taking it a lot better than the rest of his family who were currently taking the entire summer to cast themselves into a mourning period. But there was strength in numbers. Ginny and Harry had each other, Hermione and Ron had each other, and Percy had his girlfriend who he'd taken to spending most nights with as of late, a nice girl he'd met while working at the Ministry before it had gone corrupt. Molly and George were leaning on each other as they mourned and both had Arthur, who had Bill, who in turn had Fleur for support.

Fleur's mind couldn't help straying to another soul residing at the Burrow that was also mourning but didn't seem to have anyone to lean on.

Fleur turned her attention back to the cabbage patch and sighed.

"Poor Luna," Bill commented quietly, seeming to be reading his wife's thoughts.

Fleur nodded, "She hasn't got anyone."

Bill said nothing in response, probably because there seemed to be no answer. His wife however, was beginning to form an idea in her head.

"Let's take her with us," Fleur blurted suddenly, turning to look up at her husband.

Bill blinked down at Fleur momentarily confused, trying to understand his wife's meaning, "What? To Shell Cottage?"

"Yes," Fleur nodded vigorously, her hands coming up to rest on Bill's chest. "Darling, Luna is withering away here." Bill's forehead crinkled with a frown and he seemed to want to argue that the Burrow was somehow a bad environment for Luna but Fleur quickly cut in, "Bill you know it's true. As much as we know Luna loves the Weasley's, this place is draining her. Everyone here has someone to lean on but her. Everyone here is mourning Fred and Charlie but Luna is mourning her father and she has no one to talk to. She needs time away. Luna should come with us, she would be happier there."

Bill shook his head, still trying to work out his wife's plan in his head, "Would Luna even like staying with us? She doesn't know us very well. What if she's not comfortable?"

"Luna knows us and we know her! She stayed for weeks with us at Shell Cottage and she loved it, don't you remember? She was always in the kitchen with me eager to help with the food, she was so kind to Ollivander. And the beach! That girl loves the beach, you can't tell me she would do better here than there," Fleur argued.

Bill frowned, staring out to garden before sighing as if resigning and nodded, "I think you're right."

Fleur's heart flowed with warmth for her husband and she smiled gently up at him, her hand rising to his cheek. "Of course I am," Fleur told him half teasingly and leaning up for a soft kiss.

"Should we go now," Bill asked.

Fleur thought about that for a moment before stepping out of her husband's embrace. "I think you should go," she decided finally, "I think she would be more receptive to the idea if it was a Weasley asking her."

oOo

Luna looked around the room that was now to be hers at Shell Cottage. It was truly a lovely room complete with a large soft bed, a beautiful powder blue dresser, two entire walls encrusted with seashells, and plenty of natural lighting. The very air in the room smelled light and clean.

Luna set her small trunk of belongings down at the foot of her bed and breathed in the room's scent. She thought she could detect the faint smell of forget-me-nots.

There wasn't much furniture in the room, and it wasn't nearly as colorful as Luna's old room at Ottery St. Catchpole, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Luna could imagine making this room a home, and for a moment she allowed herself to be thankful she had accepted Bill and Fleur's offer of moving in with them.

When Bill had first proposed she move in with them two days ago at the cabbage patch, Luna had been more than a little hesitant. Bill and Fleur had been endlessly kind to her during her stay with them months before when she had stayed there after her rescue from Malfoy Manor. Fleur had never met Bill Weasley before, but like the other Weasleys he was warm, kind, and fiercely protective of those close to him. Fleur, Luna had remembered her from the Frenchwoman's Beauxbatons days when she and her classmates had dormed at Ravenclaw tower. From what Luna remembered, the older woman had been a bit of a snob during her teenage years, but it seemed that marriage to Bill Weasley had mellowed her out.

Luna was touched that the two seemed to like her enough to invite her to live with them in their home indefinitely. When Bill had asked Luna had immediately declined, telling him that she didn't want to be a bother, especially to the newlyweds who surely wanted to spend time with each other, finally free from a war looming over them. It was only after Bill had assured her that she would not in any way be a bother and that Fleur had actually been the one to think of asking Luna to stay with them, had she agreed. Now Luna was glad to admit that she was glad she had.

Luna sighed as she plopped down on the small stool in front of the dresser and stared into her reflection, frowning slightly at the sight. Luna could hardly recognize the girl staring back her with dull blonde hair, shadows beneath her eyes, and sunken cheeks. She looked like she'd gone through hell, and Luna supposed she had.

They all had.

Luna closed her eyes and tried not to think of that.

She knew why Bill and Fleur had asked her to move in with them. Having lived with her for a few weeks months ago, they knew her well enough to know that Luna wasn't healing properly amongst all the sadness and mourning happening at the Burrow. While Luna wanted desperately to be sad amongst the Weasley's, she simply couldn't. She could be of support to know one when she hadn't even had hardly a chance to mourn her own loss. There was no room to heal in at the Burrow and she'd had to get away, and she was touched that both Bill and Fleur were able to recognize that.

They had done her a service in taking her out of the Burrow and to Shell Cottage where the nights were cool and the air smelled like salt. She hadn't realized that she had actually missed being in the safety and tranquility of Shell Cottage until she had been brought back. Now that she was here, it was on Luna's part to begin healing.

And adjusting, Luna thought dryly to herself as her hand strayed briefly to the spot just two inches below her left breast.

But I still have seventeen days before I have to think of that, Luna reminded herself taking her hand away from her side.

Luna opened her eyes and stared into the eyes of the stranger in front of her. She knew she was in for many tears ahead of her, but the only way to get to the other side was through.

oOo

Remus couldn't help but smile at the younger man. Bill and Fleur had been so good to him in recent years. Remus would have never thought when he met them that he would grow to care so much for the young couple, nor that they would take such an interest in his company and well-being. Remus had liked the eldest Weasley when he first met him. He reminded Remus of a somewhat calmer version of what Sirius might have grown into as a person, had Sirius been more mature and less impulsive, that is, not to mention quieter. He was intelligent and a quiet leader, and he did not easily forget help given to him by others.

Remus had not gotten close to Bill until the younger man had been attacked by Fenrir Greyback. It was Remus Bill had turned to as he struggled for guidance in navigating his way to adjusting to his new werewolf tendencies. It was because of this that Remus slowly began to find himself spending more and more time at Shell Cottage, being invited over to eat at least once or almost twice a week, and receiving frequent letters from both Bill and Fleur checking in on him.

In the beginning, Remus had been resistant to accepting all of Bill and Fleur's invitations. He was not used to people being concerned with his well-being or wishing his company on a regular basis, and he was not convinced that had he been helping Bill all that much or that the couple would want to see him nearly as much as they did. It was not until Fleur had showed up at his raggedy apartment one day to scold him about how he was now part of their family whether he liked it or not. Remus began to accept all invitations from the young couple.

Remus enjoyed his time while at Shell Cottage. They had become a sort of family to Remus, and it was nice having somewhere to go to when he did not wish to be alone. Bill and Fleur had proved to him that they genuinely enjoyed his company and cared for him, and Remus tried to honor their decision in favoring them by working on being a better friend and spending more time with them.

As Bill and Remus entered Shell Cottage, they were both immediately hit with the familiar scent of bacon, toast and eggs. Both mens' steps quickened as they made their way to the kitchen where they were met with the sight of Fleur by the stove, still in pajamas with a light robe draped over her slender form and a spatula in her hands.

"Good morning boys," Fleur greeted cheerfully. Bill moved closer to wrap his arm around his wife's waist. "Hungry?"

"Ravenous," Bill growled playfully before dropping a peck on Fleur's cheek that was suddenly met with a slight flush if Remus was not mistaken.

Remus watched amused as Bill made for the fridge to get to work helping Fleur.

"Not me thank you Fleur, I really should be going. I've only come in to say hello," Remus told her.

"Remus you can't tell me you're not hungry after that run," Fleur protested.

Bill laughed, "He's got a good reason for not staying this time Fleur."

Fleur flashed her eyes at Remus who rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I've got a job interview today."

Fleur squealed delightedly, "What! Remus that's exciting! Why didn't you tell us?"

"I wasn't sure I would get a call back, "Remus admitted.

"Well of course you would," Bill grinned.

"Who wouldn't want you," Fleur scolded, and Remus was once again struck by his friends' high regard of him. "Who is the interview for?"

"It's for the bookkeep, Flourish and Blotts, nothing special," Remus responded

"It's a fabulous start," Fleur corrected and began digging amongst the cupboards, "Here, at least wait a moment so I can pack you something to eat on the way. You should really have something to eat before you leave."

"Thank you," Remus tilted his head appreciatively.

Once Fleur had packed Remus enough food to last him well into the next day, Bill offered to walk Remus out.

Bill was right in the middle of setting up a day to meet up again the living room when Remus' keen ear picked up on wood creaking near the ceiling. Remus turned to be met with the sight of a slight figure making her way down the stairs and Remus felt a moment of shock at not having sensed the presence of another in the house while he had been in the kitchen.

"Luna," Remus greeted surprised.

Luna Lovegood paused on the staircase to smile sleepily at him in greeting. She, like Fleur, was still in pajamas and her hair had bits and pieces sticking out in odd places. Remus briefly counted how long it had been since he had last seen his ex-student and felt a moment of shame for having not checked in on her after all that had happened.

"Professor," Luna greeted, not seeming at all put out by his lack of contact in the past months, and Remus was reminded that he was not close enough to Luna to be missed by her.

"Good morning Luna," Bill greeted, grinning at the younger girl as she stood beside him, "Sleep well?"

"Very," Luna confirmed, but Remus couldn't help but notice what looked like distinct shadows beneath her eyes. "Have you two been for a run in the woods?"

Remus was distracted by her apparent keen sense of smell, but Bill didn't seem to notice and quipped, "Yes actually, little tradition Remus and I have picked up lately every few days or so."

Luna nodded dreamily, "That sounds nice, the forest is prettiest at dawn." A sudden grumble drew both mens' eyes to Luna's small tummy. "Well, I think I'll just pop into the kitchen for a spot of breakfast. It was good seeing you Professor."

"It was good to see you too Luna, and please, call me Remus," the werewolf told her, drawing his attention back to her heart-shaped face.

"I don't know that I can, Professor, old habits die hard," Luna laughed lightly before waving her hand and making her way into the kitchen.

The two watched her go before Remus turned to Bill curiously, "Has she been staying here?"

Bill nodded, his eyes still trained on the kitchen door, "For a few days now. She was staying at the Burrow before, but I don't think all that company suited her. Luna needed to get away, somewhere quiet with less people to give her space. She's been through a lot, you know that."

Remus frowned, nodding, remembering Luna the day of the final battle.

"Well, good luck in that interview mate," Bill clasped Remus on the back, "Be sure to let us know how it goes."

"I will," Remus assured him. Remus was just about to step out when a light scent hit his nose, coming from where Luna had just been standing. Remus couldn't quite place his finger on it, but it was different, not exactly as Remus had remembered her.

Remus said goodbye to Bill focused his attention to possible questions he might be asked during his interview, pushing aside thoughts of the unfamiliar scent and the bloodied, crying Luna of his memory.

oOo


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again readers! I'm back with another chapter as well as thanks to all who took the time to read the first one. I apologize in advance for the incredible shortness of this chapter. As I mentioned in the first chapter, more than half of this story is already written and it had been written without mind to considering chapter breaks that make sense. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Once again, apologies for any mistakes I have made. Regrettably, I am not JK Rowling and neither own the characters in this story nor am I making a profit in any way off this story.

Enjoy!

oOo

"Good morning Luna," Fleur greeted the younger girl as she entered the kitchen, "There's mail for you on the table."

"For me," Luna asked sleepily, spotting a small envelope sitting next to the vase of marigolds. She was still groggy from sleep, and in all honesty she still wanted nothing more than to crawl back up into bed and lay beneath her soft covers. This was all despite Luna having gotten nearly thirteen hours of sleeping the night before. It seemed Luna's body was trying to catch up on all the sleep it had missed during the summer, but it was really beginning to mess with Luna's routine.

"I think it's from Hogwarts," Fleur mentioned as Luna began tearing open the envelope.

"You're right," Luna murmured as she quickly scanned the letter.

 _Dear Ms L. Lovegood,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that thanks to a community collaboration of rebuilding of the castle and ground, Hogwarts will be reopening for start of term Septembers 1st. We here at Hogwarts would be honored to have you back to complete your seventh year._

 _However, being one of those being most involved in the events leading up to and during the Final Battle, we understand returning to the place of battle may be difficult. For this reason, the school board has decided to offer you, among a few others, permission to complete your studies from home. Should you wish to go this route, the only conditions maintain that you keep up with your independent studies, turn homework in by mail every Friday at the end of the week, and that you negotiate dates and times to visit the school briefly for exams when held by your Professors._

 _Whatever your decision may be, we hope you decide to continue your pursuits of knowledge and a degree from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

 _Please let us know your decision by the end of the week._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall._

"Wow, this is the first I have ever heard of Hogwarts allowing independent studies," Fleur whistles, her cool breath grazing Luna's cheek from where she had been reading over Luna's shoulder.

"What are you going to do," Fleur asked as she straightened to begin taking items out of the fridge.

"I'm not sure," Luna said quietly, her eyes reading over the letter once more.

Luna just wasn't sure if she was ready to go back to Hogwarts. Luna loved Hogwarts growing up. Despite the teasing she had faced up to her fifth year, Luna loved skipping through the hallways, learning interesting material, visiting the magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest, and spending time with her friends.

Her sixth year onward however, had been a completely different experience. Luna not only endured teasing, but outright bullying from the Slytherins and torture by the Carrows before she had been snatched over winter break to be held prisoner at Malfoy Manor. After that, the days only seemed bleak, and after everything that had happened at the Final Battle, Luna did not think she could step anywhere on the grounds without being reminded of her father.

Luna had only just gotten to Shell Cottage, and she loved it here. She was hesitant to leave the company of Bill and Fleur, but she also didn't want to overstay her welcome.

Fleur seemed to be sensing Luna's thoughts as she smiled gently at the younger girl, "I hope you know Luna, that whatever you decide, Bill and I will be behind you one hundred percent."

Luna smiled shyly at the part-veela woman, grateful for her support and nodded, closing her letter and deciding to think more on it later.

"So what's happening today," Luna asked, noticing that all the ingredients Fleur was getting out was obviously more than for just two people.

"Oh, Remus is coming over tonight for dinner after Bill gets off from work," Fleur explained before her expression turned to concern, "Is that alright with you? I completely forgot to check first."

"Fleur its fine," Luna assured her, waving her hands. "This is your home, you should feel free to have people over whenever you want. Besides, I like Professor Lupin, he was always very kind and patient."

Fleur grinned, "Wonderful! It's a celebratory dinner actually. Remus has gotten a position at Flourish and Blotts."

"That seems like something that would suit him," Luna nodded, remembering her old professor's office and how stacked it had been with books.

Fleur nodded as she began organizing her material, "It's absolutely perfect. I'm sure he's quite pleased, he wasn't sure he would get it, stupid prejudices and such. Though I imagine that won't be something to worry about soon now that Kingsley is Minister."

Luna said nothing as she let that information stew in her brain for a while. Silly as it sounded, she had almost forgotten that Remus was a werewolf. She worried her bottom lip for a moment before shaking the thoughts out of her head and asking Fleur if there was anything she could do to help with dinner.

oOo

Luna's laughter bubbled out of her at Bill and Fleur's anecdote at a particularly interesting run-in they had had with a goblin from Egypt.

Merlin, it felt good to laugh. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this hard. It had been too long.

She, Bill, Fleur, and Remus were all gathered around the kitchen table nursing glasses of elvish wine, their bellies stuffed with the delicious food she and Fleur had spent the better part of the afternoon preparing for Remus' celebratory dinner. Remus who was currently covering his eyes as he tried to steady his laughter, his other hand busy with the glass of wine in his hand.

Luna had never seen her old professor laugh so much. Luna was happy for Professor Lupin. If anyone deserved a spot of happiness, Remus was certainly high amongst them. He too had sacrificed so much and lost so much to the war.

As dinner had approached earlier, Luna had been somewhat concerned if dinner would be awkward, especially as she felt she might be intruding on the adults' dinner, despite the fact she was nearly seventeen herself. The thought soon turned ridiculous however as Bill and Fleur never treated her any lesser because of her age and were always sure to include and invite her to their day to day activities so far.

Professor Lupin too had not treated her any lesser upon arriving either, he even kept insisting Luna call him Remus, though Luna's tongue was still battling the thought. Only Luna had felt a small twinge of confusion as she had caught her professor staring at her a couple of times at the beginning of dinner, his nose crinkled as if he'd caught a funny smell. Luna had already excused herself twice to go to the bathroom to sneak a quick whiff at her underarms, though she did not smell anything amis.

The conversation throughout the night had been light but hearty as the group shared little stories and jokes here and there. Bill and Fleur were wonderful storytellers and had both Remus and Luna at the edge of their seats as the couple recounted their old adventures of working together in Egypt. Egypt sounded like such a wonderful place to Luna now, and she hoped to one day visit it in the future, perhaps even with Bill and Fleur.

When Fleur had suggested they all relocate to the living room for one last glass of wine before they called it a night, Luna had been more than happy to agree. She felt so warm and happy as she curled up on the couch with a light throw over her legs as she held her glass close to her chest. She'd never had wine before, but she thought it incredibly delicious, perhaps even better than butterbeer.

She was glad that Fleur and Bill were her friends.

oOo

Remus couldn't help but bark out a laughter at Bill's joke. It seemed the wine was beginning to do interfere with his composure and he set his nearly empty glass on the table before he unwittingly drank too much.

Remus had come to love elvish wine. Bill and Fleur had given him a thorough introduction to elvish wine a few years ago. Apparently in France, wizards and witches were more fans of elvish wine than Butterbeer. He always enjoyed sharing a glass of wine with Bill and Fleur as they both had excellent taste. He made a mental note to buy Bill and Fleur a nice bottle upon receiving his first paycheck.

It felt good to celebrate his new position amongst friends. It had been too long since Remus had had something to celebrate, and he was grateful he still had people to celebrate him, who had insisted they celebrate. Bill and Fleur were good people, and he was glad to call them his friends.

Luna Lovegood was a good person too.

It seemed Luna had never had a glass of wine before and was unprepared for the effects just one glass could have. The younger girl was currently curled up in the corner of the couch across from Remus, her now empty glass still in her hands as she rested her head on the couch's shoulder. Her eyes were drooping as she listened to Fleur and Bill go into another tale, this one occurring in their early stages and courtship.

It was obvious Luna wouldn't last much longer before she fell asleep entirely.

Remus' eyes drifted to the girl's toes poking out from under her blanket.

 _She has such small feet_ , he thought. He felt his hand instinctively raise a little to reach over and pull her blanket lower so that her toes would not get cold, but he quickly restrained himself, appalled at his forwardness.

Remus leaned back, trying to focus on Bill and Fleur's story, but he was now seemingly distracted by Luna's presence. Again Remus thought of the small scent he thought he detected on Luna's person.

It was peculiar. Miss Lovegood smelled as she always had from what Remus recalled of her second year, perhaps a little stronger but still the same. He could smell a hint of perfume on her, forget-me-nots. But there was something else lingering there, something familiar, and yet he couldn't put his finger on it.

It was beginning to bother Remus, and he had half a mind to lean closer to the Ravenclaw to find the source of the smell, but quickly scoffed at the idea.

As if the poor girl hadn't been through enough. She didn't need an old raggedy werewolf leaning in for a whiff of her. She'd have a fright.

"I should really get going," Remus said, standing up with a groan.

Bill and Fleur began to protest over Remus' reminder that he began work the next day. They did not quiet until Fleur quickly hushed them all quiet after noticing that Luna was snoozing on the couch.

Fleur knelt before her, prying the empty glass from her fingers and brushing her hair lightly before the three adults got up to tip-toe to the front door.

"She's had a long day," Fleur whispered. "Normally she's in bed by nine."

"That's early," Remus commented.

Fleur shrugged, "Her body's been tired for so very long. She needs rest."

"Don't we all," Bill murmured, resting his chin on Fleur's shoulder.

Remus smiled at the two, "Thank you for having me tonight. Everything was wonderful, really Fleur. Especially the chocolate cake."

"Oh, Luna made that," Fleur informed him with a smile.

"Really," Remus asked, his eyebrows raising in surprise.

Remus briefly wondered if there was any left over but was too embarrassed to ask.

He said his goodbyes and made his way outside past the anti-apparition wards to head home. He was ready for sleep.

oOo

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you," Fleur asked for what seemed the tenth time as Luna chewed on the last bite of her morning bagel.

Luna was going to Diagon Alley today to buy books and other tools she would need for the school year. It would be her first outing after more than a year, and it was obvious Fleur wanted to accompany her, just to be sure she was alright.

Luna appreciated the concern, really, but she knew she had to do it alone as well. Luna would be seventeen soon, she didn't need someone to hold her hand as she went school shopping. She knew the thought seemed harsh, but Luna was sure it was something she could handle, at least that. Besides, she had specifically chosen this time and day as it was more likely to be less crowded at this time, making it easier on Luna's nerves.

"Really Fleur, you don't have to worry, I'll be fine," Luna assured the older witch. "I'll be back soon."

Fleur frowned, seemingly unconvinced.

"Would it make you feel better if I give you permission to go looking for me if I'm not back within the hour?"

Fleur sniffed, "Yes."

Luna laughed, knowing Fleur was only teasing her.

She waved and made her way to the apparating point to end up in Diagon Alley. As Luna's keen mind had suspected, the usually busy street was mostly empty with only a few early morning shoppers mingling about here and there.

Luna took a deep breath and began her errands.

She began at Gringotts for a quick withdrawal before heading to the apothecary, the greenhouse, and a few other places here and there. The whole time Luna made sure to keep track of her expenses. Her family, while not poor, were not exceptionally rich. The Quibbler had only just begun to bring in more money in the last year before her father's death. Now, Luna still owned the property, but as for money, she had enough to live comfortably for a few months, but she would need to consider other ways to make money soon.

These were the thoughts occupying Luna's mind as she entered Flourish and Blotts. She was staring mindlessly at a shelf of books when she heard a familiar voice call her name.

oOo

Remus paused from shelving books when he caught sight of a familiar figure standing only a little ways down. She'd been staring at the row of books without moving for so long Remus almost wondered if she had wandered in here on accident.

"Luna," Remus greeted.

It took a moment but finally Luna turned to blink at him once before speaking. "Professor Lupin."

Remus almost snorted. For a moment Luna had reminded him of Hermione Granger, though the two girls were vastly different. Hermione too refused to call him anything but Professor Lupin, even though he had only been a professor for a year once, and four years ago at that.

"How many times must I ask you to call me Remus, Luna," he teased good-naturedly.

It won a small smile from the younger girl, who seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding, "Alright Remus."

Remus nodded his approval, ignoring the small tingling at the back of his throat. He cleared his throat and stepped closer, "Well then, now that that's settled, might I be able to help you with find something?"

"I'd almost forgotten you were working here now," Luna commented.

Remus grinned, "The wine might have been the cause of that."

Luna laughed, and Remus was pleased he had been the cause of making her laugh. Aside from last night, it had been too long since he had heard the bubbling tinkling of her laughter.

Luna nodded, "I'm looking for some school books, for seventh year."

Remus nodded and asked her to follow him as he began leading her through the rows of books, stopping occasionally to pick up a book that was on her seventh year list.

"You're going back then," Remus asked conversationally, looking briefly over his shoulder at her.

Luna shrugged, her eyes downcast, "I'm not sure yet. They've given some of us the option to study from home, considering everything…"

Remus slowed to a stop as he considered this, seeing why Luna may be hesitant to go back to Hogwarts. He knew what memories would likely haunt her back on the castle grounds.

"I'm sorry by the way Luna," Remus told her suddenly.

"What for," Luna asked, genuinely confused.

"For never checking in on you," Remus explained. He could feel his ears flush, though he wasn't sure why. "I always meant to, after what had happened. Time just got away from me."

Luna's eyes softened as she stared up at him, her eyes an almost startling blue. "You never had to check in on me. You have nothing to be sorry about. The very fact that you even thought of checking in on me makes me feel cared for."

Remus felt his flush creep closer to his face as Luna, unknowingly, implied that Remus cared for her. For this small, blonde, fairy-like girl.

Remus shrugged and looked away, "I just thought it might be good of me."

Remus was nearly stumbled and fell when Luna's willowy arms suddenly wrapped around him, not so much from the force of the hug, but more from the shock.

Remus could not remember the last woman to have hugged him aside from Fleur, and even those were always brief despite their warmth. Now Remus could feel the tops of Luna Lovegood's wild blonde hair ticking the stubble on his chin as the younger girl held him, her face buried in his chest. He could feel the wolf in him rumbling, and it did not sound at all too displeased.

Remus held the brief thought that this was mildly inappropriate, yet he didn't push her away. Instead he awkwardly raised a hand to pat on her back as she mumbled a thank you into his chest, muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

"You're welcome," Remus rasped quietly. Just because it felt pleasant to be so close to another human's warmth for a few moments did not mean he was used to the feeling.

"And thank you for the books," Luna pulled away, seemingly having had her fill of Remus, stepping backwards to wave and smile goodbye at him as she made her way to the register to pay for her books.

It was in that moment that Luna stepped out of Remus' space that he caught a whiff of that peculiar smell he had caught a few nights ago, only now he recognized it and the realization hit him like a bludger to the face, the werewolf howling inside of him with realization.

Werewolf.

Luna Lovegood smelled like a werewolf.

oOo


	3. Chapter 3

Hello readers. I know it's only been a few days since I last updated, but I just couldn't help myself. I keep intending to update every seven days, mostly just to give me time to finish the entire story which is already more than halfway written, but it seems that I can't help getting overexcited and jumping the gun. I hope that you are enjoying what I have for you so far and a quick reminder that comments, questions, concerns, and constructive criticism are always more than welcome!

Also as a quick disclaimer, I am neither JK Rowling and these are not my characters, nor am I profiting from this story in any way.

Enjoy!

oOo

"Something's bothering you," Bill told Remus as they made their way back to Shell Cottage after their early morning run.

"Nothing's bothering me," Remus muttered.

"Don't take me like a fool just because I'm younger Remus," Bill said it jokingly but Remus knew there was a hint of seriousness in there. "You've been quiet all morning. Something's going on with you. I want to know what."

Something was going on, but it wasn't with Remus. Just the day before Remus had realized that Luna was a werewolf, that's what was bothering him. Remus wasn't sure what he was more mad about, the fact that someone had turned Luna, that it had taken him this long to realize despite having been in her presence more than once, or that she hadn't told anyone. Remus was almost certain neither Bill or Fleur knew of the Ravenclaw's condition, as they would have to him. What was frustrating, was trying to figure out why Luna hadn't told them.

Remus scolded himself when he thought this however. Merlin only knew how long it had taken him to tell his fellow Marauders what he was, and even at that they had figured it out for themselves.

What he wanted to know was when and who. Remus knew it must have happened after the events of the battle at the Ministry of Magic. Luna had been there that night, but she hadn't smelled any differently. Remus could only guess as to who had attacked Luna, but he could guess.

Remus didn't blame Bill for not having noticed. While Bill's senses were much keener now that he had some werewolf-like tendencies, Bill hadn't had too much experience being around other wolves.

But Remus had. He's spent months with an entire den of werewolves back when he had been on a mission for the Order! How could he have been so stupid?

"Is it the new job? Do you not like it?" Bill asked, still trying to figure out what was on his friend's mind.

"No, it's not that," Remus muttered. Remus loved his job actually. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by books? It was a bit hectic now as there were a lot of shoppers coming in and out as they prepared for the new school year, but it would die down in a few weeks and then Remus would be having a lot of down time to read between customer visits to pass the time. He looked forward to it, but it was the last thing on his mind.

"Then what," Bill asked.

Remus frowned, "I don't want to talk about it just yet."

Bill sighed but seemed to decide not to push it, "Come on then, let's head inside for some breakfast."

"Actually, I think I'll just head out now," Remus said, to which Bill practically whined.

"Come on mate, first you don't tell me what's on your mind and now you're going to let Fleur think I didn't invite you in," Bill whined, reminding Remus briefly of Sirius.

"How's Luna," Remus blurted the question.

Bill rolled his eyes, thinking Remus was just changing the subject, which he kind of was, before answering, "She's fine. Still sleeping a lot, but she keeps busy when she's up. I think she's decided to do independent studies rather than go back to Hogwarts."

Remus nodded at the information. As he had suspected, Bill didn't seem at all strange when speaking about Luna. Remus would bet his life that he didn't know.

Someone had to know though. Bill and Fleur should at least know, and not just because they were housing Luna, but because Luna needed someone to know. The full moon was only a few days away and Luna needed protection. She needed to be warded and administered wolfsbane so that she did not hurt others or herself. Someone had to be there for her when she woke up naked and alone.

Had she gone through a turn before yet? Did she have any idea what she was in for? Someone had to know besides him, someone who Luna trusted and considered a friend. Remus wanted desperately to tell Bill or Fleur, but he also didn't want to invade Luna's privacy. If she hadn't told anyone, he had no right to blurt her secret.

"I really should go," Remus said thoughtfully, already beginning to back away from Bill.

"What, really," Bill asked but then he sighed, giving in, "Fine, are you still coming by Friday night for dinner?"

Remus nodded as he departed with a wave.

Something had to be done.

oOo

Luna frowned as she chewed on her turkey. He was doing it again.

All night Remus had been staring oddly at Luna. She would catch his eyes drifting to her as she talked with Bill and Fleur, his expression formed into a frown as he stared, as if he were trying to figure something out. Fleur had just announced earlier how happy she was that Luna would be staying longer with them as she was choosing to pursue independent studies, and Luna couldn't help but wonder if Remus was upset that she had chosen to not return to not return to Hogwarts for her studies.

That made no sense though. Yes, Remus was somewhat of a scholar and valued education, but she was a Ravenclaw and she too valued her education! Just because she was choosing to study away from Hogwarts did not mean she had dropped all academic pursuits! The more Luna argued with herself however, the more she thought that that wasn't really the reason for Remus staring at her so strangely.

"So," Remus cut in suddenly, "I get my first official paycheck in a week."

"Hear, hear," Fleur cheered raising her glass.

Remus rewarded her with a smile before his expression became thoughtful once more. "I was thinking, we could change things up a little and have dinner at my place on the twenty-first. I'll cook, what do you say?"

"Well, I'm not sure about the part where you cook, but I would never decline an invitation to your place," Bill laughed.

Fleur slapped her husband's knee playfully, "Of course Remus, we'd be delighted."

Remus' gaze then turned to Luna, "Luna, what about you?"

Luna could begin to feel her heart flutter. Still trying to assure herself everything was fine, Luna did her best to sound casual as she asked, "What night is the 21st?"

"It's a Thursday, does that work for you?" Remus asked this somewhat slowly, but his eyes were searching hers as if they were the last sight he'd see.

Luna's heart was pounding now as both Fleur and Bill both turned their attention to her as well, as if they were curious to see what Luna could possibly have planned that would prevent her from having dinner that night. Luna's concentration was focused on Remus however, who was staring intently at her.

Luna knew there was no more pretending.

"You know," Luna said it as a statement, not a question.

Remus' expression seemed to soften as he nodded at her.

Fleur and Bill for their part looked from Luna to Remus, clearly confused.

"What does he know," Bill finally asked.

Luna took a deep breath and stared down at her hands folded neatly on her lap. Her green dress was decorated with daisies and baby's breath. It looked like a garden. It was such a lovely dress. It was a shame she would be wearing such a dress on this night that would surely be her last at Shell Cottage.

"I won't be able to make it to dinner on the twenty-first," Luna said slowly, still not able to meet anybody's gaze, "and neither will Remus, because it's a full moon that night."

There was a pause of silence until Bill spoke again, trying to make sense of what had just been said, "But wait, why wouldn't you…"

Bill's question drifted, hanging heavily in the room for a moment before comprehension seemed to dawn on the couple and they exploded with rapid questions.

"What?"

"When did this happen?"

"Are you alright?"

"Are you alright?"

"How long?"

"Are you alright?"

"What can we do?"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Are you alright?"

Luna shook her head, her eyes shut tight as she tried to calm the voices screaming in her ears and the tears from falling. She kept her eyes closed and began to explain quietly, but it was enough to settle down Fleur and Bill, both anticipating what she would say.

"It happened the night of the final battle, before my dad...It was Fenrir Greyback. I'd guess I was his last victim before he was killed. I was dueling someone, I can't remember who exactly, just that I was tackled to the ground, and next thing I knew," Luna's hand strayed once more to her side, just a little under her breast where there was still a scarred outline of Fenrir's teeth on her pale skin.

Luna didn't open her eyes until she heard a choked sob come from Fleur's mouth before she was suddenly engulfed in the Frenchwoman's arms. "Oh ma chere," Fleur whispered, "I am so sorry. I'm so very sorry."

Luna didn't trust herself enough to answer, instead wrapping her arms around the thin woman's waist and letting her tears fall into Fleur's long silky hair. Finally Fleur pulled away just enough to caress Luna's face in her hands, "But why did you tell us? It's been two full moons since that night. Have you told no one?"

Luna shook her head, "Everyone already has so much to carry with everything that's happened. I didn't want to be a burden."

"Oh Luna, you are no burden," Fleur cried. "You are a very brave girl. I'm sorry if we ever made you feel like you couldn't trust us with your secret."

Luna's eyes welled with tears again at the sincerity in Fleur's face. One glance at Bill and Luna knew he felt the same. She was overwhelmed with love for this young couple who had been nothing but kind and caring to her since the moment she had met them.

Luna felt foolish now for not having told Fleur or Bill what she had become, but it was true. Everyone surrounding Luna had had their own sorrows to carry and Luna did not wish to load any of hers onto others.

Luna wasn't particularly upset that she was a werewolf now as she had never thought any less of them. When Luna had discovered Remus was a werewolf in her second year, she had hardly batted an eyelash at the knowledge. All she knew and cared about was the Professor Lupin was a good and kind man, and he was good and kind. She could never fault anyone for being a werewolf if they were inherently good.

What hurt Luna more was that although she did not feel any less of a person for being a werewolf now, transformations were definitely the most physically painful experience she had ever gone through. If given a choice, Luna would have never chosen to become a werewolf, if only because it would mean she would not have to go through twelve painful nights every year for the rest of her life. One transformation was enough to traumatize a person for the rest of their life.

She could only imagine how Remus had dealt with it for more than half of his life.

Luna's eyes strayed now to the werewolf over Fleur's shoulder. He was staring at them with a frown etched deep into his face, pensive in his stare. Remus' eyes caught hers and flash of guilt quickly flashed in his golden orbs.

Luna knew Remus did not seem the type to blurt out other's secrets, and while he had not come outright and said, it was obvious he had been goading her into revealing hers. It seemed very unusual behavior for her usually calm and reserved ex-professor, but Luna hoped her expression conveyed that she forgave him, whether he was asking for forgiveness or not.

oOo

Remus stared at his yet untouched glass of butterbeer in his hands. He, Fleur, and Bill were now all seated silently around the kitchen table in solemn silence, ruminating over what had just recently been revealed over dinner.

After Luna and Fleur's tears had come to a stop, Luna had explained how she had hidden the wound from Madam Pomfrey after Remus had delivered her to the mediwitch. The bite having been still fresh and new, the werewolf disease had not yet completely immersed itself in Luna's blood, and that was why Remus had not detected the change his ex-student that day. At the time, all Luna could think about was the death of her father, her mind too busy trying to process that to even begin to even think of the implications on her side.

Luna cleaned her secret wound as best she could, and it was a miracle in itself that the wound didn't become infected. Unfortunately for Luna, she had to begin thinking about what she was going to do now as there was a full moon only a month away, and as the day drew closer, she knew she would have to make preparations. By the time she had looked up how to make Wolfsbane however, she saw that there was not enough time between then and the full moon in order to complete the potion, as the potion itself needed to be made under a complete moon cycle.

So, the day of the full moon, Luna had excused herself early to bed and transfigured one of her pillows to have wild blonde hair and hid it under her blankets so that Ginny would not suspect her absence. Then she left the Burrow and sought refuge in the forests near her old home. Luna had been hesitant to step foot into the woods that held so many memories for her, but there was no time to think of that anyway as she had to get straight to work putting up wards to protect others from getting near her while she was in her new form. Once Luna had finished, there was nothing to do but wait for the moon to rise.

Luna had been sitting quietly on the mossy green floor, her arms holding her knees close to her chest. It was one of those rare occasions in which Luna actually felt her eyes getting heavier and heavier, her mind getting woozy, and she was just beginning to think that perhaps she could somehow possibly sleep through the transformation, but then she felt it.

It started in her chest, a pain so excruciating she thought she might be having a heart attack, but she knew somehow, instinctively, that this pain was so much more than that of a heart attack. Luna screamed as she felt her muscles tightening and stretching, her internal organs seemed to shift inside of her, the feeling so foreign she thought she might puke. When she heard the cracking come from inside her, she realized that was the sound of her bones breaking, all at once. The pain was too much and Luna laid flat on the ground, trying to scream but no sound could come out of her. All she could do was feel what was happening her, tears rolling on her cheeks, no one witness to her pain but the trees keeping watch.

It wasn't long before Luna passed out from the pain, and without the wolfsbane, the night had been complete darkness, no memory whatsoever of the turn. She had woken up cold and alone, completely bare as her clothes had torn to shreds during the transformation. Luna had transfigured what was salvageable of her clothes into a loose dress before making her way back to The Burrow to fall in a heap on her bed, exhausted from what she had grown through, no one at the household any the wiser.

Over the next month Luna had spent some time trying to gather all the ingredients necessary for the Wolfsbane, many of which seemed nearly impossible to attain. As Luna read the potion more thoroughly, she slowly began to realize that she didn't have near enough skill the potion required in order to complete the potion. So when the next full moon came, Luna had done the whole thing all over again.

Fleur had begun crying silently again as Luna told her story, Bill reaching over to hold his wife's hand. Luna for her part had stared quietly at the ground as she explained it all. When Luna was finished, Bill assured her that they were sorry she'd had to go through this all alone, but she had them now, and they would help her in either creating the Wolfsbane potion or finding someone who could.

Luna had thanked them and then stood up explaining she was tired and wished to go outside for a moment. Remus had avoided the younger girl's gaze as she brushed by him to go outside.

Remus could feel a sinking guilt deep in his belly that prevented him from drinking his butterbeer. He wanted to believe something he had eaten at dinner had sat unwell with him, but he knew it was his own behavior that had caused this and not the food at all.

"Why did you do that, Remus," Bill asked the older man as soon as Luna had stepped out, and Remus knew the redhead wasn't at all impressed with his behavior either.

Remus could say nothing to excuse his behavior. Still, he responded, "Someone had to know. She shouldn't be carrying this burden all on her own."

"Well that's obvious! But you shouldn't have tried to trick her like that to get her to tell us," Bill almost growled. "What were you thinking? You should have told us directly!"

"Or at the very least confronted Luna privately to convince her to tell somebody," Fleur cut in, her hand resting on Bill's wrist to calm him. Though, judging from the expression on Fleur's face, he would guess she was barely keeping it together herself.

oOo

Remus wasn't sure what had come over him to have behaved so rudely. Remus had not planned on getting Luna to share her secret by goading her over dinner. It was all very uncharacteristic behavior for him, only ever prone to act in such a way occasionally when dealing with Sirius and James. But Luna was nothing like Sirius and James. Remus had no right to have forced her secret so publicly from her. He should have just confronted her quietly and asked. He should have urged her to tell Bill and Fleur and been there for her. He had been her professor for Merlin's sake.

"I don't know," Remus admitted.

"What do you-"

"Well there's no use in worrying about it anymore," Fleur interrupted Bill. "Now that we know, we have to figure out what to do next. She can't keep on going through that pain every month, it's complete torture. She needs Wolfsbane."

Remus shook his head, "It's like Luna said, Wolfsbane needs an entire month and the next full moon is in only a few days. There isn't enough time. She'll have to transform without it again."

"You can't be serious," Bill exclaimed. "Remus, you must have extra Wolfsbane you can give her. Who makes you the potion?"

"Horace Slughorn has been making my potions for the last year, but he only ever makes enough for me. I drank it this morning, three days before the full moon as it is meant to be taken. I'll let Horace know to make more for next month."

The three were silent for some time, trying to come up with a solution but knowing there was no other way around it. Luna would have to go without the Wolfsbane once more.

"Remus you have to help her," Fleur said then, and both Bill and Remus stared at her confused before she explained. "You were there for Bill when he was attacked by Greyback. Luna wasn't just attacked by him, she was turned. She'll need someone who knows this life to be there for her, to mentor her."

Bill nodded vigorously then, "She's right Remus, if anyone can understand completely what's she's going through, it's you."

"I'll do what I can," he murmured. Remus decided not to voice the fact that he hardly thought Luna would want him anywhere near after what had happened at dinner.

After some more silent sitting, Remus thought it was the right time to excuse himself.

Remus had just said his goodbyes and heard Shell Cottage's door close behind him when he caught sight of a small light not too far off from him, hiding amongst the tall seagrass.

Remus was unsurprised to find that the light wasn't a light after all, but Luna's head of white-blonde hair, illuminated by the moon's glow. She was kneeling on the floor, her back turned to him as she stared up at her namesake, now the orb that would dictate her life.

Remus hadn't known how involved Luna was in the war until after she had stayed at Shell Cottage following her rescue from Malfoy Manor. He'd not known how close Luna was with Harry and his friends until he'd seen her that night of Sirius' death at the Ministry. It did not take him long to recognize her, despite having not seen her since her second year, but Luna Lovegood was distinctly memorable. He was vaguely aware of The Quibbler, the magazine Luna's father published, an interesting, albeit questionable read. And then issues from The Quibbler were mysteriously cut short, and after a visit to Bill and Fleur after a lengthy mission he had learned that Luna had been staying at Shell Cottage before returning to Hogwarts only a few days before. Then of course he learned that she was close enough to the Weasleys that at least two of them had invited her to stay with them this summer.

It was curious to think that Luna Lovegood had been through so much.

Remus could recall the last time he had seen Luna kneeling on the floor, only then she had been holding the dead body of Xenophilius Lovegood in her arms.

Remus could still remember the slight weight of Luna in his arms as he'd held her. He could remember the dampness on his chest from where she had pressed her face, her tears and the blood from the cut on her temple seeping into the fabric of his robes. She had felt so small as he'd carried her, small, but impossibly warm. His entire front had burned with her warmth, a reminder of the fact that although she was sad and injured, she was alive. One more person he knew had made it, at least one.

He remembered arriving at the castle with the girl in his arms and being ushered by Madam Pomfrey to the Great Hall where cots had been set up for the injured. He remembered the reluctance he'd felt at leaving her alone, but he'd had other matters to attend to, more bodies to find, hopefully most of them alive.

He remembered feeling startled when Luna had spoken and told him that she would be fine. She had stopped crying some time ago, but her eyes were puffy and red from all the exertion, her body almost limp as she curled up into a ball. Remus had said nothing but nodded before going off to find others.

He wished to hear those words from Luna now. He wanted assurance that Luna was still safe, to reinforce what he had thought when he had first picked her up months ago. He felt remarkably without control, not having been aware of the danger Luna had been in all summer. He wanted to hear from her that all would be well, as he had months ago, but that would mean speaking to her now and confronting his actions from dinner.

Remus instead walked away wordlessly as he had at the Great Hall, the wolf in him laughing at him, coward, the whole way.

oOo

It had been a whole day since that awkward dinner in which that awkward dinner had occurred, and Luna was back sitting amongst the sand and the grass, staring out into the dark waves crashing onto the shore. It seemed the full moon's effects were beginning to have an effect on the ocean, the way it did with Luna.

Luna had a feeling that Remus hadn't intended to reveal her secret in the way that he had. Yet, even as she knew this, sitting on the beach after Remus had left the house last night, Luna couldn't help but feel somewhat put out by her ex-professor. She kept thinking about it over and over again in her head, and when Bill had come outside to ask if she would be coming in soon, she'd snapped that she would come in when she was ready.

Admittedly, she wasn't quite as snappish as perhaps someone else might have been in her place, but considering it had come from Luna, she had practically barked at Bill. She had apologized as soon as she said it, but it was still somewhat unfamiliar behavior for her. All day Luna had also felt somewhat on edge and had spent the better part of her day at the beach staring at the waves.

Fleur had mentioned earlier that Remus would be joining her on the night of the full moon, so that she would not be alone during the turn. Luna was yet unsure of how she felt about this proposition. She was even more unsure of how Remus must feel about it.

Remus had been a werewolf for a long time, obviously he was more than familiar with the monthly change. However, what Luna was unsure about was the fact of whether or not he would be willing, or even want to show her the ins and outs of being a werewolf to her, someone who although had been his student many years ago, was for all intents and purposes a complete stranger. Luna could see that Remus was close with Bill and Fleur, which spoke highly of him, but Luna didn't really know him either. She knew he enjoyed teaching, as he had seemed sad on his last day as resident professor at Hogwarts, but Luna did not think he would enjoy nearly half as much teaching something that was incredibly personal for him and something that he had aimed to keep secret for many years. Even now, though Remus Lupin was celebrated as a war hero, he seemed to remain quite tight-lipped about his condition.

Luna knew it may be hard for Remus to teach her what she needed to know, and while she would respect his decision should he leave her to learn on her own, she couldn't help but think that it would be nice to have someone teach her. Especially someone as kind and patient as Remus is.

Luna frowned, hoping the older man wasn't upset with her.

Two more days and Luna would know what Remus thought about all of this.

Luna was just beginning to catch a certain scent in the air when a soft and now familiar voice spoke her name.

 _Looks like you'll find out tonight cub_ , another voice spoke, this one in her head and one she was still getting familiar with.

Luna turned around to look up at Remus, his hands in his pockets and a sheepish expression on his face. Now that he was closer, his scent was a lot stronger and Luna wondered if she should train her nose to pick up on scents better. It could definitely come in useful to know when someone she knew or didn't was close by.

"May I sit with you," Remus asked, distracting Luna from her thoughts.

Luna quickly nodded and watched her old professor ease himself down onto the floor. Luna was very careful to not giggle at the sight of her professor sitting cross-legged next to her, his brow furrowed in what seemed to be disapproval of the sand that was already all over his pants. It had been nice to see Remus relax with a glass of elvish wine at Shell Cottage, seeing him laugh more than she had in her entire second year at Hogwarts, but it was still odd seeing him sitting Indian style beside her.

"How are you," Remus asked carefully, and Luna was certain he was trying to gauge how upset she might be with him.

Luna looked away from him to smile softly at the sea. It didn't take much for her to be put on good terms. "I'm alright thank you, nervous but alright. Bill and Fleur are good friends," she nodded resolutely.

"You're lucky to have them to support you," Remus agreed.

"You have them too," Luna turned to him, certain he must know. It was clear to Luna that Bill and Fleur truly adored Remus and looked forward to his visits. Luna wasn't sure she had anyone in her life who were so eager for visits from her.

Remus seemed to blush a moment but looked away before Luna could tell for certain, "That I do, and I am glad for it."

The two sat in silence for a few more moments, the only sound that of the waves. It was quite late, and Luna was far from sleepy, but she still thought it an odd time for Remus to pay a visit for Shell Cottage.

Remus seemed to read Luna's thoughts as he suddenly cleared his throat, "I imagine Bill and Fleur have told you I would stay with you on the night of the full moon?"

Luna nodded, waiting for him to go on.

"They thought it would be a good idea to have me nearby, as I may be of some support during the change and after the turn. Bill and Fleur would put up wards and remain nearby to make sure nothing goes wrong, not that it would. Of course, this is all assuming you want me to be there."

Luna smiled softly at him, "I would like that, but is it alright with you?" At Remus' confused face she went on, "I don't want you to feel obligated to be there with me if you would rather not. I would completely understand, you have no obligation to me after all."

Remus looks positively shocked at her words, "Luna, I was your teacher once."

"I know, but that doesn't mean you have to be again. I know it must be hard for you, I don't want to make you feel as if you have to be there for me, even if Bill and Fleur asked you to, because you don't."

"I want to be there."

Luna blinked.

"What?"

Remus sighed, "You're a good person Luna, a great person. You are unique and smart and kind and incredibly true to yourself. More people should be like you. I enjoyed having you as a student. You didn't deserve for me to force you to reveal your secret the way that I did. I should have asked you about it privately, and asked you myself if you wanted my help right from the start. Adjusting to this disease is unimaginably difficult and I wish I had had someone who knew to have taught me about being a werewolf as I was growing up. I will not allow someone I care about to go through this alone and I want to help you for as long as you want me to."

Luna reminded herself to breathe as she stared into Remus' golden eyes. She couldn't help but feel touched at Remus' little speech, particularly the part where he had said that he cared about her. Luna was sure that more people said this to each other without too much weight in the words, so it must be a very casual thing to say to someone, but still, Luna was not used to anyone telling her that they cared about her aside from her father, and until recently Bill and Fleur.

She was also unfamiliar with the warmth she felt in her cheeks and looked away from the older werewolf so that he could not look directly at her face. She was glad Remus seemed to truly want to be by her side on the night of the full moon. Remus seemed to understand however as he waited a moment before he reached into his cloak, "I've brought you something."

Luna stared curiously at the little book Remus had placed into her hands. It was very thin, practically a pamphlet, but it had a lovely grey cover with silver designs all around the edges. It was scratched up and delicate, and Luna imagined Remus had owned this book for quite some time.

"It's a book on werewolves. There unfortunately isn't too much material out there on symptoms, changes, and other things you'll need to know now, and what's worse is that there is no material written by an actual werewolf so a lot of the material that is out there is wildly inaccurate. This book however was written by Jacob Piddleton, who actually lived with werewolves for an entire year before he put this together. It's short, but I thought you might find it useful to read and then you could ask me any questions you may have or I could clarify or expand on whatever you wish."

"Thank you professor," Luna breathed as she let her hands ghost over the delicate pages.

"Remus, remember," Remus reminded gently and Luna let out a short laugh as she nodded.

"Right, Remus," Luna smiled.

The two sat in comfortable silence, and Luna was vaguely aware of how much her mood had improved, almost silly to think that Remus had been responsible for her upset mood only fifteen minutes ago.

Remus Lupin had always had a very calming presence on Luna after all.

oOo


	4. Chapter 4

Hi readers! Funny story about this chapter, the most updated proof-read version of this chapter somehow got deleted so I had to go back and do it all over again (cries) but not to worry it is up and running. Thank you for all the views this story has received. I hope you all are having a lovely holiday.

Hope you enjoy!

oOo

"For the most part I don't mind it, I find it to actually be a useful skill to have, but there are times it's just so strong I almost get a bit of a headache. I don't know how you do it."

"I'm used to it after so many years that I hardly even notice it anymore, it's just a normal part of my every day. I almost forget that not everyone's sense of smell isn't so keen as mine, ours," Remus corrected himself.

It was late afternoon in Shell Cottage, and Remus and Luna had settled in the living room after lunch in the kitchen with Fleur. Bill was at work and Fleur was out shopping for groceries, leaving Remus and Luna alone to talk a little and prepare for what was to come that night of the full moon.

Currently, the two were going over some of the passages in the book Remus had lent Luna. Luna, being the good Ravenclaw she was, practically devoured the book the night Remus leant it to her. As off in the clouds she may have seemed to the rest of her classmates, Luna loved learning and she sat now curled on the carpet as she listened raptly to Remus who had long ago abandoned his seat on the couch and joined her on the floor after she refused to sit on the couch, claiming she thought better when sitting cross-legged, a trait Remus remembered from her second year.

It had been decided that Remus would spend the majority of the day at Shell Cottage before the full moon that night to offer support and advice as well as to help with the preparing. At lunch, Remus had confirmed Luna's suspicion that lack of hunger was a common symptom in the days leading up to the full moon before he urged her to eat reminding her that she would need her strength for the night. Luna did not comment on how Remus too more picked at his food than actually consume any.

Now they were discussing more long-term symptoms that Luna would be living with every day of her life, the two prominent ones being her now incredible sense of smell and hearing. The hearing, although much better, was harder to tune into and Luna had to draw real effort to tap into. The smell however was like a slap to the face, constantly plaguing her for better or for worse.

"So you can tame it," Luna asked, referring to her smelling sense.

Remus thought about this for a second, "I suppose, you sort of learn to build tolerance to certain smells that are strong even without werewolf senses, and you learn to tune in more when you recognize familiar scents."

"Like other people's scents," Luna asked. "I've been trying to catch onto that, like with Bill and Fleur. I can smell them now in a way I hadn't before."

Remus nodded, "Yes, you'll learn to recognize the scent signature of those who are around you often. What can you tell me about Fleur's smell? Just to see how trained your sense has gotten in the past two months."

Luna thought about it for a moment, her eyes closed as she responded, "Fleur smells like blue starlets, citrus, almonds, and sugary."

Luna opened her eyes to see Remus staring at her with an impressed expression as he chuckled, "Very good. I have a feeling you'll be able to tame your scent in no time Luna. You're right, Fleur always smells like blue starlets and sugar, the citrus and almonds is from her perfume though. I wouldn't be surprised if you learn soon to distinguish artificial scent from natural odors soon. What does Bill smell like to you?"

Luna didn't think for nearly as long before she responded, "Bill smells like smoke from a campfire and some sort of tree, though I'm not sure which."

"That would be pine," Remus informed her and Luna grinned.

"Do people always smell the same? Does it ever change with time?"

"Sometimes, though in my experience smell tends to stay the same. Only younger children all tend to have a certain lingering baby smell on them before they grow into a signature scent."

"What do I smell like," Luna asked then, startling Remus a little though he wasn't sure why.

Remus stared into the bright blue eyes of Luna staring patiently at him before he responded, hesitating though he already knew the answer. "You smell like eucalyptus and mandarin oranges, especially on your fingers, and there's a hint of jam and chocolate as well."

Remus ignored the slight blush he saw on Luna's cheeks, who seemed to ponder this before she asked, "Some places smell stronger than others?"

Remus shrugged, "Some people do. Bill smells pretty even all over from what I can tell, but I've noticed Fleur smells more strongly along her forearms."

"You smell like plums and early morning fresh air, and blades of grass, and something else I can't quite put my finger on," Luna offered, despite Remus not having asked her to describe his scent. Remus shifted a little in his seat, unsure of how he felt as he realized this was the first time someone had told him what he smells like. Bill had mentioned once that he smelled like fruit and earth, but Bill's sense of smell wasn't nearly attuned to that of a full werewolf.

Remus couldn't quite explain why he felt suddenly uncomfortable discussing each other's scents and tried to change the subject by asking Luna if she had gotten much sleep. When she'd said no as he suspected he told her that was another symptom leading up to the moon and that she'd more than likely crash afterward.

"Is that why you were here so late two nights ago," Luna asked, and Remus fought the urge to not curse out loud at the younger girl's insistence on making him uncomfortable.

"Yes, I couldn't sleep, though it may have also had something to do with the fact that I felt bad about the other night," Remus decided to admit honestly.

Luna smiled warmly at him, that adorable blush thankfully having cleared from her cheekbones and ignoring the whining coming from his wolf as she assured him, "That's all already been forgotten Remus."

Remus pondered for a moment if it had been a good idea insisting Luna call him by his name when they heard the sound of the floo going off, announcing Fleur's return.

"I'll bring you potions next month that will help with the sleeping. Your system will eat through them pretty quickly so you won't get a full night's rest, but you'll be able to sneak in at least a couple hours," Remus explained to Luna, telling himself he wasn't changing the subject as Luna walked in, trying his best not to feel like he was covering something up.

Luna frowned at him but then turned her attention to Fleur asking how the shopping had gone before offering to help put the groceries away. Remus excused himself to the bathroom to splash water on himself before joining them to help.

oOo

Luna sighed and closed her eyes as she sank deeper into the flower-scented water, allowing the smell to soothe her senses. Remus was right. A hot bath would definitely help her muscles relax. Remus was currently outside with Fleur and Bill who had arrived from work early to help with setting up protective wards around a good portion of the beach where she and Remus would be turning in just a few hours.

Luna tried not to think of that quite yet though and lifted her hands to her pert nose to sniff, trying to catch a scent of the mandarin oranges Remus was talking about. She could only get a small hint of it though. Was it possible that as a werewolf one couldn't catch her own scent as well as she did others? She would have to ask Remus about that.

 _He's curious_ , her wolf murmured in her mind, and Luna couldn't help but agree, opening her eyes to frown silently at her hand, noting the shadows on them from the candles Fleur had set out.

Granted, Luna didn't know Remus very well, her experiences with him being mostly limited to having him as a professor years ago in her second year. She knew he was smart and kind as well as patient with his students. She thought he must be very brave considering he came from Gryffindor, his participation in Order of the Phoenix and the final battle laying testament to that. She knew Harry really loved and looked up to him, and that he was apparently once best friends with Harry's father and godfather, Stubby Boardman.

Other than, Luna's closest encounters with Remus included the day he'd carried her at the final battle, cementing in her mind the kindness that Remus Lupin possessed. She knew he was a great friend to those close to him, as shown by his guidance and friendship he offered to Bill and later Fleur. From his frequent visits to Shell Cottage Luna had had opportunity to learn more about him and was better able to recognize his witty, sometimes dry humor. He was helpful, always offering to help Fleur in the kitchen when Bill sometimes forgot. He was quiet but not hesitant to voice his opinion in a respectful but firm manner. He had an almost barking laughter he released only sparingly. More often than not Luna could catch moments his eyes clouded over and she thought he looked quite sad.

He was a good man, of that Luna was sure, but what she wasn't all that sure of was whether or not he liked her.

He seemed to be uncomfortable at time with her when they were alone in a way he wasn't when they were with Bill and Fleur. He was a great conversationalist, with a lot to share and Luna liked that about him, never being bored in his company. But she also noticed how sometimes he averted looking into her eyes or muttered his responses to her. He sometimes fidgeted and Luna was willing to bet he sometimes just wanted to leave the room, though Luna was unsure what she had done or said wrong.

He was kind to her though, that was completely irrefutable. The man was willing to guide her and be of support to her for Merlin's sake. Luna could remember occasions in her second year where his surprise and confusion were clearly evident after she'd made mention of what people considered to be oddities, but he never treated her ill for it and listened to what she had to say. Even before he'd learned of his secret he had always treated her with kindness and respect, listening attentively to whatever she said and not just brushing her off during conversations with Bill and Fleur, despite how much younger she was.

Luna wondered just how old Remus was. He had lovely skin, still firm and clear disregarding the smattering of scars, but his graying hair and the bags underneath his eyes gave away that he must be in his mid-thirties, more than likely even in his early thirties. He was thin but strong, and incredibly tall, a contradiction to his unassuming nature. Luna could see why Tonks had fallen in love with him.

Luna was just wondering if her thoughts were straying to dangerous territory when she heard a knock on the door and then Fleur's voice, "Luna? It's almost time."

That quickly drew Luna from her thoughts as she felt the nervousness settle in her chest and stomach. "I'll be out in a minute," Luna called back.

She listened to Fleur walk away before she got up and drained the tub, using her wand to cast a quick drying spell and then reaching for the bathrobe Fleur had left for her. Remus had suggested earlier she use her worst clothes on the nights she turned because there were only so many repairing spells clothing could take, and Luna had decided on a bathrobe.

She slipped it on and looked at herself once in the mirror before stepping outside and downstairs where Fleur was waiting for her with a kind and encouraging smile.

Luna made no comment but was silently grateful as Fleur slipped her hand in hers as the two women walked down the sandy grass to the beach where Remus and Bill were waiting. As they approached Luna watched Remus paced as Bill spoke to him. Remus, as Luna figured she should expect, turned to see Fleur and Luna walking down far earlier than most people might, their presence given away to him by either their smell or noise.

Luna noticed it took her many more steps to get closer before she could catch a whiff of Bill and Remus' scent.

"Is everything ready," Fleur asked.

Bill nodded, "We've set up the wards, they just have to be activated. You and I will be able to go in and out as we please but once they're activated Remus and Luna won't be able to leave until daybreak."

Luna noticed how his legs twitched, a trait a little unusual for Bill, and she wondered if he felt any of the moon's effects despite being only half-werewolf.

All four were silent for a moment, the sky around them an orange hue, an uncomfortable reminder that Bill and Fleur would have to go inside soon.

Both had wanted to stay outside, just behind the wards to watch after Remus and Luna, to make sure they would be alright. Remus however had thought, considering Luna wouldn't have any wolfsbane in her, nearby human presence would make Luna antsy and more likely to hurt herself or him, so it was best if the young couple stayed indoors away from them.

"Well, I guess we'll be going inside now," Fleur said quietly.

Luna smiled at Fleur, her face now the one offering encouragement. Fleur's eyes filled with tears and she stepped forward to wrap Luna in a hug that almost made her eyes go misty as well.

"We'll be close Luna, and Remus will watch after you," Fleur whispered into her ear. Luna nodded and looked over Fleur's should at Remus who was staring at them sympathetically.

Bill gave Luna short hug and then laid his hand on Remus' shoulder for a moment before joining Fleur as they made their way back up to the cottage.

Remus and Luna were left behind on the sandy beach, barefoot, waiting for the sun to completely set.

Luna took a moment a take in what Remus was wearing. He was in grey sweats, so old they were nearly white from so many washes. He had a maroon shirt hanging from his shoulders, the material threadbare and sporting a small hole just above his hipbone. It almost made him look younger than he actually was. Luna was only used to seeing Remus in a cardigan or a casual suit or robes. She didn't think she had ever seen the light skin of his upper arms, smattered with a few scars, much less his bare feet.

"How are you feeling," Remus asked then, distracting Luna from her thoughts about Remus' skin.

Luna turned her attention to the growing anxiety in her chest. Luna's anxiety was making Luna even more anxious because she wasn't the type of person to feel anxious. Her limbs felt jittery, and her mind was running a mile a minute. Watching the setting sun was only making her feel even more nervous and made her want to pace. She felt restless.

Luna watched Remus who seemed to focus all his focus and attention on Luna, probably to distract from his own anxiety. She could tell by the stiff way Remus was holding himself that he was anxious as well, which although she appreciated, did nothing to soothe Luna's nerves. If this is how Remus felt with wolfsbane, she already knew her night was going to be a lot more painful.

"How do you do it," Luna cried suddenly. "Every month for-for how long?"

Remus' mouth quipped into a quick smile that made Luna think again of how long he could look, "Most of my life. Thirty two years."

Luna gaped at Remus, her mouth hanging open, "Thirty-two? Merlin, how old are you?"

Remus' eyebrows raised in surprise at the uncharacteristic outburst, "Thirty seven"

"I thought you were thirty-two, thirty-four tops," Luna admitted, still a little shocked, though she thought this might be just her brain exaggerating in an attempt to distract her.

It seemed it worked for Remus at least who barked out laughter, "Well I'm flattered but no. I'll be thirty-eight in April."

Luna thought about this for a moment, feeling her heart get heavier when she realized Remus was only five when he was turned.

"You were only a child," Luna murmured softly.

Remus said nothing to that, but he didn't have to as whatever he would have said would have been interrupted anyway by the painful twinge Luna felt in her thigh.

"Remus," Luna gasped, staring up at him. He had a wince on his face that let Luna know he had felt it too.

"I know."

She hadn't noticed the sun had already gone down. She felt it again, this time on her arm.

"It's going to hurt," Luna whimpered.

"Yes."

She was barely cognizant of her rising panic and she didn't know what to do with herself, flapping her hands in nervousness.

Then Remus was standing right in front of her, his hands heavy on her thin shoulders as he tried to calm her. "Luna, Luna look at me. I'm going to be right beside you."

Luna nodded, trying to focus on the two freckles Remus had beneath his left eye right next to the bridge of his nose, but then the real pain started and the freckles got lost in the wrinkles of pain caused by Remus' wince.

And it began.

oOo

Remus focused his breathing, trying to count backwards in his head from a hundred, relishing in the softness of the sand. He didn't think he'd ever turned while on a beach.

 _Get up, get up, get up._

 _Just give me a minute_ , Remus wanted to growl back at his wolf _. I'm still recovering from this pain, caused by you I might add._

 _Stop whining. Get up, get up, get up! She'll be up soon!_

Remus opened his eyes finally and slowly eased his sore muscles into getting up onto all fours, carefully shaking the sand off his fur. Once he was steady enough to move he looked over to the small file of white fur lying nearby amongst a pile of shredded bathrobe, Luna in her wolf form. Remus couldn't help but think her coat looked nice. Human hair color didn't always translate to wolf fur but apparently for Luna it did. It suited her.

 _Fur looks soft._

Remus ignored that observation and paced away to lay down, keeping an eye on Luna who slept soundly on, her body exhausted from the pain of the change.

His wolf was anxious to wake her up but Remus quieted the voice down.

It was a couple of hours before Luna's wolf form began to stir, Remus sitting up to attention. Luna stirred and twitched before her eyes finally opened and she stilled, taking in her surroundings. She sat up when she saw Remus and stared at him for a few good moments, but as Remus suspected, he didn't hold her attention for long.

Instead Luna's nose twitched and she began to sniff the air, her head turning to the cottage up ahead. Luna whined and began to head that way but was pushed back by the barrier. Remus watched as she whined louder, testing the boundaries of the wards he and Bill had set up. Soon Luna was running in circles along the boundaries, howling louder and louder.

Remus watched her for as long as he could, waiting for her to get tired out, but Luna was a young wolf with plenty of energy. Once he saw Luna wasn't going to give up anytime soon and thought she might begin to hurt herself soon if she couldn't hurt anyone around her, Remus thought it was time to redirect her.

Remus got up and began stalking Luna before he ran and pounced, Luna's wolf form falling down onto the edge of the ocean water wetting both their fur wet. Luna growled at him but Remus quickly shut that down by closing his jaw around Luna's throat. It wasn't enough to hurt her, but it was enough to show who was in charge, and Luna's whine told him she was beginning to understand that he was much bigger and stronger than her, the clear alpha to their two-wolf pack. When Luna finally quieted down he released her and waited for Luna to finally whine again but this time rolling onto her back, revealing her soft pink belly to Remus.

Satisfied, Remus snorted and walked away to settle back on the still warm patch of sand he had been lying on earlier. Luna lay back on her belly and watched him, snorting. Remus laid his head down and closed his eyes, ready to rest for the remainder of the night and certain now that Luna knew he was in charge, she would not try to get far now that it was clear he was leader.

Then Luna whined.

Remus opened one eye to watch Luna staring at him with her ear perked, whining softly and breathing out what could almost be thought of as sighs. When he opened both eyes she stood to attention and went low on her front legs, her tail high in the air and wagging wildly. She barked once, happily.

 _She wants to play_ , his wolf realized happily and trying to force him to stand to attention as well.

If he could he would groan.

 _I'm too old for this._

 _Play play play!_

Luna whined again and got closer to roll on the floor in front of him, begging.

Remus wanted to sigh and supposed Luna wanting to play was better than her wanting to bite the closest human to her.

Remus snorted and then stood.

The moment he did Luna sprang up and began frolicking around him, jumping closer to him and then back playfully. Remus watched her as she did this and when Luna began to whine thinking he wasn't going to play after her after all, he pounced.

Luna, and internally Remus' wolf, howled with happiness as they wrestled playfully, taking turns running and pouncing after each other. Pretty soon, Remus wasn't simply humoring her but actually began to have fun himself. The last time he had played as a wolf was over two years ago at Grimmauld Place's backyard with Sirius. Remus had played with the other Marauders in his Hogwarts years after they learned to become anamagi to join him, but as Wolfsbane had not yet been invented, those nights were a complete blank to him. Remus had spent time with other wolves on missions for Dumbledore, but there had been no time or familiarity for playfulness during those times.

Remus had to take frequent resting breaks, reminding himself of his age, glaring at Luna who seemed to have an abundance of energy and could barely contain herself as she waited for Remus to regain his energy.

As it became closer to the breaking of dawn, Luna began to tire out as well and she lay before Remus, her head resting on her front paws. Thankful for the rest, knowing they would need their energy for the dawn, Remus flopped down and closed his eyes to sleep.

oOo

Remus opened his eyes and groaned, the soreness of his muscles undeniable. The early morning beach air wasn't any help either, torturing his old, tired bones and creating a breakout of gooseflesh on his skin.

Slowly Remus eased himself into sitting up, and let his eyes wander to his surroundings. He quickly looked down at his hands when he caught sight of Luna's naked form sleeping soundly only a couple yards away.

Luckily, her back was to him and Remus didn't really see much, but he was still unprepared for seeing so much skin from his former student. Logically, he knew he should have been prepared, and it was obvious he should have expected it, but it still caught him off guard. As Remus reprimanded himself for seeing Luna's naked back, a thought occurred to him, and slowly he let his eyes wander back to Luna, forcing him to restrict his eyes only to her back.

On her side he could see the darker tone of her original bite mark on her side, but aside from that her skin was completely clean. Not a trace of other bite marks or scratches.

Remus' keen nose then caught a whiff of Bill and Fleur. He looked up and sure enough the pair of them were coming down from the cottage, each with what looked to be clothes in their hands. Remus wouldn't doubt that they had been up all night watching them through the cottage windows, waiting until dawn when they woke up to go down to them.

When they reached the sand Fleur immediately went to Luna and Bill to Remus. Remus nodded in thanks to Bill, taking an extra shirt and sweat from the younger man as his pair were currently torn to shreds. Remus could instantly tell upon putting on the clothes that they were of much richer quality than his own, but he still mourned the worn and comfortable texture of his own clothes.

"How are you cherie," Fleur's cooing reached his ears and he turned to see Luna had awoken already and been slipped into a cotton purple night dress.

Remus watched as Luna nodded and said quietly, "Sore, but okay I think."

"Let's go inside, I've already made breakfast," Fleur said, helping a stiff Luna stand.

Bill looked to Remus who nodded his permission for Bill to step away from him and go to Luna's other side to help her up to the cottage.

Luna stopped before him, forcing Fleur and Bill to pause too.

"Remus," Luna said quietly, her eyes filled with a warmth Remus was still getting used to being directed at him from anyone.

Remus nodded and so did Luna before she let Bill and Fleur continue to assist her up to the cottage.

Remus waited a moment to collect himself before following.

Once in the kitchen, Remus could think of little else besides the food set before him and immediately set to work stuffing his mouth with the toast, eggs, ham, and sausages Fleur had prepared. Luna too was eating her food like it was her last day on earth and Remus quietly laughed to himself having never seen her eat so much in one sitting, knowing it was the effects of the turn after the full moon making her this ravenous.

Fleur and Bill watched amusedly and sat quietly and patiently drinking their coffee with tired eyes for Remus and Luna to slow down.

Finally Remus was full enough to slow down and eat at a more leisurely pace, switching to sip his orange juice. Luna ate ravenously for a few more minutes before she too began to calm, watching her plate in wonder of how much she had eaten.

"Another wolf symptom," she asked, looking somewhat sheepishly at him from under her eyelashes.

Remus nodded with a small smile, "It'll be like that for the next two days or so. All you'll do is sleep and eat."

Luna nodded, and true to his word he could see Luna's eyes grow heavy as she asked, "So how was I? Not too much trouble was I?"

Remus smiled sleepily, "You did beautifully."

Remus hoped that Bill and Fleur thought nothing of his comment and that they would not notice the slight blush to his cheeks. Remus tried to ignore how pleased he felt with himself and focused instead on Bill who spoke.

"He's right Luna, your wolf form is beautiful, especially with that white fur. You looked so strong, and energetic, though I don't know how much Remus liked that," Bill laughed, Fleur's laughter joining in.

Luna's face became questioning, her eyes darting to Remus, "What do you mean?"

"You're quite playful as a wolf, Luna," Fleur explained. "Remus on the other hand seems to be the type to be more content dozing."

"Am I," Luna asked in an apologetic tone, her eyes searching Remus' face who just shook his head and laughed.

"It's fine Luna. You're a young wolf so it makes sense you would have so much energy. It's good. It forces me to get some exercise."

Bill and Fleur laughed, and Luna who searched his grinning face for a moment more chuckled softly as well.

They finished their breakfast and Luna looked like she was about to fall asleep on the table. Remus too was feeling the exhaustion beginning to overwhelm him and he stood with a yawn, "I should head back now."

"Remus if you're tired you can take our bed for a few hours," Fleur offered.

"Yea mate, you look so tired I don't know if you even have the apparate," Bill offered.

Remus shook his head, "Thanks but you two have been up all night as well. Besides, I wasn't kidding when I said all Luna is going to do for the next few days is sleep. Once I'm out I'll be that way for at least twelve hours and then you'd be wishing you'd never offered up your bed."

"If you're sure," Bill said slowly.

"Use the floo at least," Fleur offered. "Save your energy."

Remus nodded and said his goodbyes before heading to the living room. Remus was just about to dip his hand into the floo powder when Luna stopped him.

"Remus, wait."

Remus paused and turned to see Luna drowned in her night dress staring up at him almost shyly. Remus gulped down the knot in his throat and waited for her to speak.

He almost thought Luna had gone off into a daze of some sort and was about to turn back to the fireplace when Luna came at him and threw herself onto his chest the way she had nights ago at Flourish and Blotts.

Remus was assaulted with the smell of her as she tucked her head onto his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you," she whispered quietly.

When Luna did not let go Remus murmured quietly, "I'm not sure how much help I was. You were still in much pain after all."

"I know," Luna spoke, still quietly, and Remus wondered why they were whispering. "But there was someone waiting with me before and after the pain. I was alone before, but now I have Bill and Fleur...and you."

Remus knew he had yet to hug Luna back, mostly due to his uncomfortableness, and though he wanted to return her hug after her words, he was in too much shock, his senses on overdrive.

Luna did not seem to mind however, and held him in her embrace for a moment longer before letting him go and smiling sleepily at him before making her way upstairs to her room.

Remus released a shaky breath and then finally flooed to his small apartment, crashing onto his bed and welcoming sleep to erase his racing thoughts.

He knew what he was thinking, the feelings the young Lovegood was provoking in him, but he hoped the next few days of near constant sleep would wipe them away before he completely repulsed himself.

oOo

Luna entered Flourish and Blotts, her eyes searching the store for a tall and familiar figure that she hadn't seen in over a week.

Remus had been right. For three days after the full moon all Luna had done was sleep, only waking up every half day to eat her weight in food and then crash back to her bed for more sleep. After those days had passed she had spent most of the next few days lazing around, taken advantage of sunbathing the last few rays of the summer before the weather began to get colder with the coming of September.

This was one of those pleasantly warm days when Luna had realized Remus hadn't visited them in a while. When she had mentioned it to Bill and Fleur they had just shrugged saying he must be busy at work with last minute shoppers for the start of term. Logically, Luna knew that was a valid reason, but she still couldn't help but think that September 1st was days ago and most children were probably away already, so Remus really shouldn't be all that busy.

Though why she was keeping tabs on Remus she had no idea.

Finally, she spotted him come out from one of the halls created by the tall bookshelves and he smiled politely in greeting to her. Luna noted that he didn't look too surprised to see her and she figured he had probably smelled her once she came in. She walked over to him and caught his scent too before she stood before him and smiled when he said her name.

"How are you? Looking for some books," Remus asked.

Luna nodded, having previously thought of that as an excuse, despite the fact that searching for excuses to come to Flourish and Blotts whenever she pleased was completely silly.

"Yea, I've just started some of my term homework and it seems I've been in need of some books to write my papers. I don't suppose Flourish and Blotts offers some sort of renting offers?"

"We do actually offer a renting membership for a fee. I can help you find those books and then get you started on the application for you."

"That would be great, thank you," Luna said genuinely, passing him the slip of parchment on which she had written the titles of the books she would need.

"Not a problem," Remus assured her, and began to lead her through the aisles.

They made some polite conversation about the bookshop and how busy it had been until a few days ago and about Luna's seventh year school subjects and Fleur returning to work. Soon Remus was handing her the paperwork she would need to fill out to rent books from Flourish and Blotts and Luna could feel her time slipping away and so she decided to just come out with it.

"When are you coming to dinner?"

"When," Remus asked as if confused, though it was a perfectly normal question Fleur asked him all the time.

"I've missed you," Luna told him sincerely, though she hadn't planned to say those exact words no matter how true they were.

"You've missed me," Remus asked and Luna wondered if he would stop repeating what she was saying.

"I hadn't realized until you weren't there how much I like having you at shell cottage with me and Bill and Fleur and you haven't been around in a while. It doesn't seem to feel complete without you there."

"Really," Remus asked, his cheeks reddening in a way Luna thought quite pleasing to the eye.

"Yes," Luna assured him. "Bill and Fleur adore you, it's clear whenever you visit how pleased they are to have you near. I think Bill sees you as a sort of pseudo-brother, and so does Fleur, I know. They enjoy your company...and so do I."

"Luna," Remus warned slowly, looking embarrassed and uncomfortable the way he sometimes did when around Luna, but this time there was a small smile quipped at the corners of his mouth.

Thinking this was a good sign, Luna went on, "I really enjoyed all of us together at dinner, and the conversations we've had, and I've missed having you around. And i still have so many questions about all this."

Remus' smile seemed to freeze in a very odd way before he cleared his throat and then smiled politely at her. "Ask Fleur to let me know if dinner this Thursday works for her."

Luna grinned at that, "I will."

Remus then slid Luna's books across the counter to her, "I'll see you then."

Luna felt it a bit odd Remus seemed to have just dismissed her when there clearly wasn't much work to do at the shop.

Luna was much too pleased however with the prospect of Remus coming over for dinner that she hardly noticed and took her books before skipping out of the shop.

oOo


	5. Chapter 5

Hello again readers, I'm back with a chapter slightly longer than the usual. It is important to mention that, as a few of you may have noticed, as of this chapter this story's rating has been bumped up to M. Don't get too excited, there's still some time left before all the bits you _really_ want to read, but nevertheless I hope you enjoy this chapter all the same.

oOo

Remus sighed as he relaxed back into his chair after the big lunch he had just had. Dinner wasn't able to work out as Fleur was going to be working late Thursday night but they all opted instead for a long lunch instead. Remus had no idea how Fleur had been able to whip up such a delicious hearty lunch in less than ten minutes before sitting with them all to eat and talk and laugh.

Remus had to admit he had missed being around Bill and Fleur, and Luna now too. Fleur and Luna were laughing at a story Bill had just told and Remus thought a lot about how in many ways he felt more complete when he was at Shell Cottage, surrounded by people in a warm home and sharing in a meal. It almost felt like having a family.

Luna covered her mouth as she squealed in laughter and Remus snorted a little at the girl who caught his eyes and grinned happily. He was glad to see her like this.

Luna coming in to Flourish and Blotts to tell him he had been away for so long and asking when he'll be round for dinner had been something only Lily and Fleur had ever done in his past. He had never expected those actions from Luna Lovegood.

Remus quickly reminded himself that Luna had not asked him to come based on the reasons he had fleetingly believed she had and focused instead on Bill and Fleur.

"I have to get back to work," Bill grumbled.

"Oui, me too," Fleur agreed.

"Thanks for joining us Remus, we missed you," Bill told him. Remus ignored Luna, nodding in agreement.

"It was my pleasure. I suppose I should be getting back home then," Remus started to get up, wondering what he would do with the rest of his day off.

"Oh no, Remus. You should stay with Luna," Fleur said then.

Remus paused in his actions to gape at Fleur before glancing at Luna who glanced at Fleur before looking at him too. "Oh, I wouldn't want to be a bother. Don't you have homework to finish before tomorrow," Remus said.

"Nope," Luna shook her head popping the p in nope. "I finished earlier today. Ravenclaw remember."

Remus laughed shortly if only to think for some sort of excuse.

"Yea you should stay Remus," Bill agreed.

"I do have some questions actually, remember, about werewolves," Luna reminded.

"There you go, you have to stay now Remus," Fleur said with finality. "We have to be going to work though."

Bill and Fleur shuffled around, beginning to clean up before Luna told them she'd handle it. They thanked her and then said their goodbye before heading to the floo.

That left Remus and Luna alone, the latter of which smiling pleasantly at him before jumping up to begin clearing away plates and washing them the muggle way. Remus spent a moment contemplating his terrible luck before remembering his manners and going over to help Luna dry the plates, paying careful attention to not let his fingers brush with hers whenever she passed him a plate.

Afterward Luna had suggested they go for a walk along the beach and Remus hesitated for a few moments before agreeing, thinking it might actually be better to be moving around Luna rather than having to sit still on the floor or couch with her.

They walked along the shore in silence simply enjoying the sun and breeze. Remus was beginning to feel awkward again and decided to try and break it by asking, "So how are you. Did you only sleep and eat for days after?"

Luna laughed, a light tinkling laugh that soothed Remus' ears. "Yes, you were right. It was quite nice aside from the soreness. I don't think I've ever gotten away with sleeping so much with an excuse, except for maybe times that I was sick."

Remus chuckled, "Yes it's nice now until you have to call into work and let them know you're going to have to take some days off."

Luna thought about this for a while, "Is that why it's so difficult for werewolves to keep jobs?"

Remus shrugged, "That and just a general prejudice against them I suppose."

"Flourish and Blotts took you on," Luna pointed out.

"Yes, now that I'm being called a war hero," Remus seemed to frown at the term. "Years ago though when I first applied, I doubt they read my application past the part where I was legally mandated to state my condition."

Luna seemed to think about this and Remus cursed himself silently, "Sorry, I don't mean to spoil the mood Luna. I'm sure you'll be fine, they're calling you a war hero as well. I don't doubt you'll have any trouble finding a job some day."

Luna smiled at him, "Thanks, that's good to know. Though I don't suppose I care much about what strangers have to say about me."

Remus wished he had had that attitude when he was her age.

"So are you going to the dinner next week," Luna asked referring to Arthur Weasley who had invited them over for dinner at the Burrow. It seemed maybe Molly was finally beginning to come around. Remus had read over his owl earlier that morning.

"Yes, I will be there," Remus nodded.

"Good, you have a lovely family Remus, the Weasleys and Harry and Hermione."

Remus was a little shocked Luna saw him in that respect to the Weasleys. "They're your family too Luna," Remus pointed out.

Luna shrugged, "Maybe. Before this summer I didn't really know the Weasleys all that well, only Ginny and Harry, and Bill and Fleur of course. They have been kind friends to me though. I think that's what makes this all bearable."

Remus looked Luna then, curious to hear more.

"I'm used to being alone. Both daddy and mum were only children so I didn't have any cousins growing up, and we lived too deserted from neighbors. Once Hogwarts came around I was so used to being alone I didn't even mind when I didn't have any friends at first. But waking up after the full moon by myself and then with you and Bill and Fleur was so different. All of us sitting around the table eating and laughing after this thing most of wizarding society frowns upon and would cast me out for...I don't know, it makes me feel loved and cared for."

"You are loved and cared for Luna," Remus told her almost fiercely, appalled that she would think otherwise. He cleared his throat then and tried to save himself, "Bill and Fleur adore you. As do the other Weasley's I'm sure."

Luna said nothing, only smiled softly to herself.

"So Bill had mentioned you bit my throat on the full moon to calm me down," Luna mentioned.

Remus snorted, "I did not bite you, not hard enough to harm anyway. I was getting you to submit to me."

"Submit," Luna asked curiously, and Remus winced at how that must have sounded.

"I mean, to show you I was alpha." When Luna still looked curious he went on. "Werewolves run nearly identical to wolves. When you're on wolfsbane you'll still have your human mind, but since you were thinking like a werewolf who only wanted to bite and would eventually turn to harming yourself, I had to tap into your wolf mind. That's why I held you down with my jaws, to make you more pack-oriented and submit."

"And I did," Luna asked.

Remus nodded, "It took a while, but you eventually rolled onto your back and showed me your belly in submission."

"Hmm, I don't know how I feel about that."

Remus laughed, "I assure you it has no reflection on who you are as a person. I know you would never submit to anyone's rule, but as a wolf you only recognize that I am bigger and stronger than you."

"I suppose I'll let it slide this time," Luna joked and Remus chuckled, his eyes lingering on her teeth, straight and elegant and pearly white.

While they were on the subject, Remus decided to bring up what had been on his mind the past couple of days.

"Luna, I noticed you don't have any scars or cuts on you."

Luna frowned as if his question was odd. "I have a few. There's a small scar on the back of my knee from when I was nine. And another on my arm from when I was twelve. And all the old scars from scabs on my feet from being barefoot all the time.

"No," Remus shook his head. "I mean, you don't have a single self-inflicted injury from the first full moons you spent by yourself."

Now Luna paused to frown at him in confusion. "Self-inflicted? Why would I hurt myself? I thought the instinct was to hurt others."

Remus blinked at her. "Yes, that is the initial instinct, but a werewolf without wolfsbane will eventually turn to scratching him or herself if they cannot bite a human."

Luna's eyebrows furrowed, wrinkling the lovely clear skin of her forehead and let her gaze travel over the scars on Remus' face and neck. "Do you mean to say...you did all that to yourself?"

Remus nodded slowly.

"I thought you had gotten those in skirmishes with other werewolves, or from the first war."

Remus shook his head, "No. While some of them are, for the most part, these are all self-inflicted, from before I began taking wolfsbane."

Luna pondered this information, "Is this bad that I don't act that way?"

Remus thought about this, "I don't see why it would be. Just curious I suppose, now that you ask. I'd never heard of a werewolf who didn't self-inflict harm without the influence of wolfsbane."

"That wasn't in the book you gave me."

"Like I said, that book wasn't written by an actual werewolf either, so despite its information, there are a few things missing."

Remus spent the next hour walking along the beach with Luna explaining more details about being a werewolf. He confirmed her theory that for whatever reason it was harder to distinguish one own's scent than that of others. He told her that Slughorn was working on a wolfsbane portion for her now as well and that she could pick it up on her visits to Hogwarts when it was finished. They talked about his work at Flourish and Blotts and how much he enjoyed it, especially the parts when business was slow and he literally got paid for reading. He even revealed how while he was happy there, he was considering applying for a new job in a few months, though he was still unsure what he wanted exactly. Having spent so many years without many job options before, he wasn't even sure what he wanted to do with himself now that he had some.

Remus found himself having a rather pleasant time just walking and talking with Luna for company. It was nice being with her and Bill and Fleur as well, but this was nice in a different way. Luna listened well and somehow always said the right thing to encourage him to speak further, something he didn't always do with people he didn't know as well, used to being more reserved and speaking only polite, mundane conversations. He found himself finding it easy to speak with Luna, wanting to stay even longer before he told himself he had already spent enough time alone with her and that he should really be leaving.

Remus walked Luna back to Shell Cottage and was just offering his farewell, trying to ignore how angelical Luna's white blonde hair looked in the afternoon sun when she leaned in for a goodbye embrace.

 _She's very comfortable hugging you._

 _That's just Luna being kind._

The wolf snorted but Remus ignored him, tolerating Luna's warmth for a few more moments before clearing his throat awkwardly to step away from Luna and apparating home.

Remus's cheeks were still warm as he sighed, throwing himself onto his bed and burying his face into his thin pillow to muffle his groan of frustration. Merlin, he felt like a teenager with a stupid crush.

Luna was only a girl of sixteen, smart and lovely with the whole world ahead of her, as well as an old werewolf more than half her age with a crummy one bedroom apartment and a low-paying job thinking about how lovely her hair smelled and how soft and warm she felt against his chest. She was thin and fairy-like, with perfect pearly teeth, bright blue eyes and a pert nose Remus wanted to kiss, not to mention her small but full lips.

It all explained why he had been so touched and pleased when Luna had shown up at Flourish and Blotts going on about how much she missed him and wanted him at Shell Cottage for dinner, without the faintest idea of what she was doing to him.

Then she had simply gone and ruined it by all the questions she still had for him about being a werewolf. While it may be true that she enjoyed his company, she still saw him as a mentor. She considered him little more than a friend, or a man, which made complete sense considering he was once her professor when she was only twelve years old, the fact that he was old enough to be her professor, her father even, making his next thoughts absolutely abominable.

Remus Lupin was attracted to Luna Lovegood and he wasn't sure what he could do to stop it.

oOo

"So what's going on, are you going to the dinner next Friday," Bill asked as they paused for a breath on their traditional runs.

"Ehm, I wasn't sure actually. I didn't know if Arthur had invited me out of politeness or if he just wanted family there."

"What are you talking about mate, you are family. Luna and Hermione are invited as well."

"I suppose, I just don't want to impose. I know Molly has been having trouble."

Bill's expression turned solemn as he thought of his mother, "Yea, mum's been quite sad. But I mean, if dad thought it was okay to invite as many people as he did, then she must be getting better."

"That's true," Remus nodded slowly.

"So you'll be there," Bill asked.

"I don't know if I'll have to work."

"Ask someone to cover for you."

"Bill."

"What? There's no reason not to go! What could possibly stop you from going?"

 _Luna._

Remus frowned as he thought of the blonde, fairy-like creature that was Luna Lovegood.

After lunch a few days ago, Remus had promised himself he would avoid Shell Cottage as much as possible. He'd thought long and hard about these uncomfortable feelings he was having for Luna, and had finally convinced himself that it was all misguided energy due to him not having been laid in months. Luna had simply been the closest affectionate woman who had been around him in a long time and he'd missed the feeling of a warm body near his, but Luna was twenty years younger than him, not to mention once his student when she was merely twelve, thus completely off limits.

Remus thought that maybe if he just spent more time away from Shell Cottage, away from Luna, these feelings would just blow over. He'd already told her much of what he had to show her about being a werewolf, and technically didn't have to see her until the full moon. He could just alternate between visiting Fleur and Bill at lunch so that they don't unconsciously miss him and think he's been gone too long. His plan could work.

"You need to go, everyone would be upset if you didn't show. And maybe you could talk to George, the twins always had longer conversations with you than most anyone, swapping pranking ideas I expect." Remus caught the mistiness in Bill's eyes at the mention of Fred and lightly clasped him on the shoulder.

He didn't say anything when Bill discreetly wiped at his eyes.

Remus' heart went out to Bill. He knew that despite his happy disposition, Bill was carrying a lot on his shoulders as the eldest Weasley brother.

"I'll go," Remus said finally.

"Thanks mate," Bill responded, and Remus knew he truly meant it.

The two finished their run and Remus declined breakfast saying he needed to shower before work so as to not have to go inside and run into one of the blondes residing inside before apparating away.

oOo

Hermione Granger's parents were interesting people to be sure, Remus thought as he conversed with them in a corner of the living room. While Remus was familiar with considerable muggle culture considering his mother had been a muggle, she had still been more entrenched in the wizarding world, so Remus had never met dentists. He'd had no idea one had to go through so much schooling in the muggle world to mend teeth when a witch or wizard could do the job in just a few spells.

Remus' eyes strayed from the conversation for a moment to look around The Burrow.

The atmosphere wasn't at all like it had been to past Weasley dinners Remus had attended to, but it was clear everyone was doing their best, and there were a few genuine bouts of laughter here and there. Fleur and Percy's girlfriend Audrey were in the living room helping clean up, having earlier helped Molly with the preparing of the food, though from what Remus could tell the younger women had done most of the work. Molly had helped of course but she was clearly easily distracted and went off into space occasionally.

Ginny and Hermione were catching up near the stairs, having not seen each other for weeks while Hermione and Ron had gone off in search of her parents in Australia, who were now in conversation with Arthur. Arthur looked tired, but better than last Remus had seen him. Percy stood nearby as if standing guard, much like the way Ron and Charlie seemed to stand guard by George who was sitting quietly on a couch watching everyone.

Remus's eyes then strayed to the window by which Harry and Luna were catching up. Damn Luna and her hair. Why was she always standing so close to sunlight? It made her hair glow and distracted Remus' eyes. He'd been sneaking glances over at the younger girl all evening and hoped that no one had noticed.

Luna had arrived with Bill and Fleur after Remus, and the moment she had arrived in that lovely green dress with flower print on it, Remus' chest had tightened at the sight of her. That dress made her look almost like a garden and it did wonders for her. It didn't help that Luna's face had brightened upon on seeing him, and while Remus had smiled politely at her, he'd stepped back to let the others pounce on her with greetings instead of approaching her.

Arthur and Molly had wrapped her in their arms asking if she was well and practically smothering her like a small child. They babied her more than they did Bill, which he loudly joked about in order to get his parents' attention. Luna had then been passed down the line of Weasleys until she reached Ginny who held her attention in conversation for at least an hour until Harry had a go.

Luna was well-liked by the Weasleys, it was clear to Remus. He smiled softly to himself, glad that Luna had a sort of family she could fall back on. It was comforting to know that despite the fact that Luna no longer had any blood relatives, there were still people who cared for her. She would not be alone during Christmas holidays as he had been for many years.

Remus excused himself to go outside for some fresh air and to take a healthy swig of his butterbeer.

Although he was glad to have been thought of by the Weasleys, and glad to see that for the most part they were healing and beginning to stand back on their feet, Remus still wasn't used to having so much company around him and needed his moments of quiet and alone.

"Remus."

Remus turned and grinned upon seeing the face of Harry Potter, this young man Remus cared so deeply for. This young man who had determined so much for their world.

"Harry," Remus greeted, happy to be in his company as he hadn't much time to speak to him that evening aside from a hug of greeting upon arrival.

"I'm glad you came," Harry grinned.

"As am I. How are you," Remus asked, genuinely interested. He had been through so much.

Harry shrugged, "As well as I could be I suppose. What about you? I hear you and Bill have gotten closer."

Remus realized this he must have gathered from his conversation earlier with Luna.

"Yes, Bill and Fleur have all been good friends, as all the Weasleys have been."

"And Luna." Remus hoped Harry didn't notice him bristle at the mention of her name. "She speaks highly of you."

"Yes, Luna has been a good friend as well," Remus said slowly, unsure how much Luna had told Harry about the nature of their relationship."

"She is. She helped me a lot actually, after Sirius died," Harry revealed.

"Did she," Remus was surprised, this being the first time he had heard details of Luna's friendship with Harry.

Harry nodded. "Everyone was always tiptoeing around me after Sirius died, like I was glass about to shutter, which I was in a way. Luna was good company to keep whenever I wanted to get away from it all. She never pressured me to talk but listened when I did. And she never told me what to do, which I appreciated. The most she did was make a few off-handed comments that were always somehow just exactly what I had needed to hear in that moment."

Remus thought about this for a moment. "That sounds like Luna," he murmured quietly.

"I'm glad to see you're doing well," Harry said, and Remus thought it almost amusingly curious to hear that sentiment coming from someone so young as Harry. "We'll have to do dinner or a pint soon, now that I've moved in fully into Grimmauld Place, it gets a bit lonely."

Remus grinned, in awe of how much Harry had grown, "I'd be delighted."

Harry stayed outside with Remus for a while longer before the younger man went back inside to rejoin the group. Remus stayed outside for much longer, warmed by the conversation and occasional laughter sounding from inside.

There had been a lot of healing that occurred that night amongst the Weasley clan. Remus could see in the way Ron made jokes that earned half-hearted chuckles from George, in the way Arthur made sure to take time to privately ask everyone how they were, in the way Molly had embraced everyone who came through her door, and in the easy conversation Luna had held with Harry.

Remus knew that there was nothing between Harry and Luna, Harry only having eyes for Ginny Weasley. Seeing her with him however, reminded Remus of all that Luna deserved. She deserved someone who was able to speak with who valued her presence and what she had to say, who respected her, who cared for her, and who was so much closer to her age than Remus was. He had seen the potential of what Luna could have that night, and this solidified in Remus' mind that he had to stay away from the girl.

He could not influence her with how he found himself feeling for her. She had been through so much already and deserved not to be tainted by him. Remus had experience with being in a relationship with a woman younger than him, and now she was dead. While Remus knew logically that Tonks would have fought even if he hadn't, he was convinced that her involvement with him had not only made her more distracted, but also a bigger target due to his condition and connection to Harry and his father.

Of course, now that the war was over, such danger was not so imminent, but there were still other factors to consider. As much as Remus had adored Tonks, and as much as she tried to work with his condition, he knew it was something she was always concerned about, especially when she began to mention babies in their future (a thought he found terrifying).

Age of course was the other factor. Remus had been so conscious of the thirteen year age difference between himself and Tonks. It had taken her and the rest of the Weasleys months to convince him that age didn't really matter. However, Remus somehow suspected they would not be nearly as dismissive or supportive of the twenty year age difference he had with Luna, especially considering the fact that he was old enough to be her father and had taught her in school when she wasn't even a teenager yet. They would be disgusted with him.

Merlin, he was disgusted with himself.

He just needed to continue on with his life as the way he had the past few days, avoiding Luna as much as possible without arousing suspicion. While Luna had sought him out before, he had convinced himself that it was more out of politeness and an eagerness to learn more about her condition. He was certain that after just a few more conversations revolving around their shared condition, Luna would be less demanding of his company and would soon not even feel his absence.

The thought hurt more than Remus cared to admit.

Repressed emotions however were not an unfamiliar concept for Remus, and he was sure that he would manage and eventually look back on his silly crush on Luna as a fleeting result of having been without a woman's company in many months.

oOo

Luna chewed on the tip of her quill as she stared down at her parchment containing an array of ancient runes before her on the kitchen table. Earlier that day Luna had accidentally burned her toast, distracted by the sudden realization that she hadn't seen Remus in over a week again. Luna had thrown the toast away outside, but now that Luna was attempting to do her homework, her keen senses were able to still catch the lingering whiff of burnt wheat in the air.

Luna's senses had gotten much better in the past few days and she had certainly noticed, as had Bill and Fleur who discovered Luna could now sense them coming down to check on her while she was at the beach almost immediately after they opened the cottage door to step outside. While Luna was pleased at all the scents she was able to pick up now, she was having trouble controlling them and not letting them affect her. The hearing she was still developing, but she did find it was harder for her to fall asleep at night again just because she was so hyper-aware of every little sound.

Luna knew she should be grateful for such gifts she was given, despite the pain of the monthly transformation, but it was still a lot to get used to.

And Remus hadn't been around in ages for her to learn more about what he had to share about being a werewolf.

She'd hoped to speak to him during the Weasley dinner, but he'd spent much of his time by Arthur and Hermione's parents, and Luna got the sense they were speaking of very grown up things and thus did not feel comfortable enough approaching them. She had hoped to speak to him later at some point but when she could not find him she discovered he had already left, only offering goodbyes to Arthur and Molly before disappearing into the night.

She'd gone by Flourish and Blotts the night before to see if she might get a glimpse of him, but apparently he had taken the night off, which Luna found odd considering they were still halfway off to the full moon.

Luna felt somewhat as if she was going very out of her way to speak with Remus, considering she technically didn't have anything of immense weight or urgency to discuss. However, she brushed these thoughts aside and told herself it was quite normal to reach out for the company of those you enjoyed.

Luna heard the pop sound of apparition sound outside the wards near the forest, not nearly close enough for Luna to have heard without her improved hearing, and soon her nose confirmed that Fleur was coming by to pick up the lunch Luna had offered to make for her that day.

"Hello, hello! How's that homework coming along," Fleur announced happily as she came into the cottage, making a beeline for the kitchen counter.

"It's coming along," Luna sniffed noncommittally. "How's work?"

"Oh it's wonderful, with the war I was always so busy or worrying that I didn't even have a moment to realize how much I've missed work until now. I love it."

"That's good," Luna smiled, sincerely glad that Fleur was happy.

Fleur was silently enjoying her lunch and Luna was again trying to focus on her homework when she asked suddenly, "Have you seen Remus recently?"

"Remus," Fleur asked, as if surprised by the question. "Yes, I saw him a few days ago. I stopped by Flourish and Blotts to have lunch with him."

"Oh," Luna said quietly, hoping Fleur could not hear the slight disappointment in Luna's voice for having not been invited.

Fleur chewed silently for a moment more before saying, "That was days ago though. I have containers on containers of leftovers I've been meaning to owl to him, but I haven't had the time. Maybe you could take them for me instead? That is if you're not too busy."

Luna found herself nearly leaping out of her seat at the prospect of going out, especially if it was to see Remus, "Oh no, I wouldn't mind at all."

"Perfect," Fleur beamed after her last bite of lunch. Fleur rummaged around the kitchen, collecting containers of food into a large bag then writing Remus' address onto a slip of parchment and taking off.

Luna stared carefully at the parchment Fleur had left for her, meticulously remembering the address before picking up the bag of leftovers and set out, absently thinking about what a good person Fleur was and that she would one day make a good mother.

oOo

Luna stared up at the tall, somewhat leaning brick apartment complex Remus Lupin apparently lived in. The building looked like it could do with some renovations, and it wasn't that much better on the inside with questionable stains on the carpeting and stairs that creaked far too much for comfort. It was not typically the kind of place Luna imagined her professor living in, but from what she understood, before the war it was difficult for werewolves to procure jobs, so this must have been all Remus could have afforded.

While Luna was not judgmental for the state of people's living conditions, she did think Remus deserved a lot better, and she hoped Flourish and Blotts were paying him enough to start saving for a nicer place.

Luna climbed the stairs to room 217, wondering if she should have checked Flourish and Blotts first, worrying that perhaps he was still at work, but then she caught the pleasant fresh scent of him and moved quicker up the stairs.

Luna stood before Remus' red door and knocked carefully, waiting to see if she could hear any sign of him inside.

Sure enough, there was the distinct cutting off of a floorboard creak, as if someone had suddenly frozen in place at the sound of her knock. Remus was inside, but he was making no move for the door. Luna frowned, certain that he must be able to sense it was her outside, and knocked on the door again.

There was a moment's hesitation but finally there were more creaking floorboards and then Remus was staring down at her wearing loose-fitting jeans and what appeared to be hastily thrown upon t-shirt considering the state of his hair.

"Luna," Remus said simply, and thought Luna knew it was unusual for her to show up at his doorstep, surely it wasn't too crazy an idea to cause his skin to look so pale.

"Hello, I come bearing gifts," Luna smiled easily.

"Gifts?" Remus looked even more confused.

"May I come in?"

"Ehm...I suppose-but-" Luna waited not a second longer to enter into Remus' flat and immediately taking in all that it had to offer. Luna hardly heard the somewhat urgent way Remus spoke her name, too distracted by this foreign place Remus called home.

It was small, to be sure, and consisted of only one large room with half a wall cutting off a small kitchen area. There were hardly any possessions, and no decorations. There were only two windows, and one other door which Luna assumed hid a bathroom, since the main room seemed to serve as both living room and dining room, considering the small table and chairs, and a bed in the corner with mussed bed sheets thrown about, a contrast to the otherwise neatness of the room.

It was as Luna was observing Remus' flat and Remus was still trying to catch her attention that she caught it, the strange yet not completely unfamiliar scent in the air.

"What is that, I've smelled it before," Luna murmured quietly to herself, wondering if Remus had been cooking, but the smell seemed to be coming from the corner where the bed sat.

"Luna."

This time Luna heard Remus say her name, heard the urgency and note of uncomfortableness in his voice, but she was too distracted by the smell, her brain only able to focus on the bed. It wasn't a bad sent, a little musky...different but not bad, somewhat attractive actually.

"Smells like Bill and Fleur do sometimes, in the morning when they come down for breakfast," Luna said slowly, and when Remus stepped closer behind her and caught the scent on him too, it dawned on her.

Luna whirled around to face a more bashful Remus than she had ever seen, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down, as if in an attempt to hide the blush on his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

The bed and Remus smelled like sex.

"Oh," Luna said quietly, trying not to let the slight blush she was feeling on her own cheeks affect her.

"Yes," Remus confirmed, shifting on his two feet, and Luna then felt incredibly awkward. "Sorry," Remus continued, the awkwardness evident in his own voice. "I was about to shower and hadn't had a chance to clean the sheets, I wasn't expecting company today."

"That's my fault, I was just dropping these off and to see how you were doing, but I should have owled first, or just sent them over," Luna looked away, unsure why her cheeks were burning so much.

"I see."

"Yes, well," Luna said quietly before quickly stepping towards Remus. Remus looked up with round eyes, as if he thought Luna was about to tackle him, but Luna only pushed the bag of leftovers into his arms. "Well I'll see you around," Luna said quickly and offered Remus a smile she hoped wasn't too awkward before quickly leaving the apartment and apparating back to Shell Cottage.

oOo

As soon as Remus was sure Luna was at a far enough distance, he cursed and threw the bag of leftovers onto the table, wincing when he heard what sounded like glass breaking. He groaned and made his way to the shower, pulling off his pants and then the shirt he had hastily thrown on when Luna Lovegood came by knocking at his flat.

Remus couldn't remember the last time he had felt this embarrassed, and it was a shame to think that just a few hours ago he had been satisfyingly relaxed, but it seemed one inopportune visit from Luna and he was a mess of unease in his muscles once more.

Last night Remus had decided to be spontaneous and visit an Australian pub Sirius and James had introduced him to years ago. It was one of the few places his friends had dragged him to that he had actually enjoyed. The pub was small and somewhat intimate, with a lot of hidden corners and dim, romantic lighting. The bartenders were friendly but knew when one just wanted to drink in silence. And there were interesting art pieces hanging on the walls that Remus wondered if anyone else noticed. Naturally, years ago when James and Sirius had brought him here, they had soon grown bored of the place and dragged him elsewhere.

But on some nights, like last night, when times called for desperate measures, Remus went back to the pub.

Remus was quite pleased at the pub last night when it had taken less than half an hour to be approached by an attractive, brown-eyed woman who introduced herself as Marie. She sat with him and they chatted for a good hour, learning surface details about each other. Marie was a twenty-eight year old magical law intern from Ireland, so she was funny and sharp, which Remus appreciated, not to mention the lovely curve of her bum he noticed when she excused herself briefly to the bathroom.

When she had come back, she'd let her blonde hair out of her braid and asked him when he was going to invite her back to his place.

Remus obliged.

Marie was a woman who knew what she wanted, Remus had noted. When they had arrived at his place she'd wasted no time in pressing her lips to his and beginning work on unbuckling his belt as she walked them to the bed where she'd pushed him down. Remus congratulated himself on not cumming the moment she pulled her dress off and slipped out of her bra and underwear, confidently displaying a lovely expanse of young skin and a lovely cunt, too long since he had seen such a sight. Remus was even more proud of himself when he managed to hold off his release longer than he expected considering how Marie had climbed onto him and impaled herself on his girth, setting a brutal and delicious pace for them.

Remus had fallen asleep spent, exhausted by the younger woman's energy, and was pleased to wake up to find Marie still snoozing on his bed the next morning. He'd waited until a decent time to wake her up, convinced she would run out once she saw him in broad daylight without the influence of a couple of drinks. He'd been surprised to find that Marie was willing to stay for one last morning shag before she departed. The morning was much slower that last night, as their limbs were still heavy with sleep. Remus enjoyed coaxing out louder and louder moans from her as he teased himself in and out of her, slowly, ever so slowly to draw their movements out for as long as he could to make the orgasm all the more sweeter.

He'd come deep inside her, marvelling in the blonde's quiet whimper against his shoulder, his face buried in her hair. Remus smirked quietly at how long he could feel her warmth pulsing around him before she finally let herself fall back onto the pillows, eyes closed and panting happily. It had been years since Remus had had a casual shag, and he was glad that despite how long it had been, he was still more than capable of satisfying a young woman.

This was evidenced by Marie leaving a discreet slip of parchment on his trousers with her owl information despite having declined his awkward, half-hearted offer for breakfast. Remus had been glad she had declined his offer though and still left him his number. It showed that although she had no interest in being in a relationship or forming attachments, she was still willing to fit him into her busy schedule for when she needed a good shag. Remus was fine with that. He could just imagine James and Sirius cheering in celebration for him having found himself what they would call a shag buddy.

Yes, Remus had been quite pleased and satisfied with himself that morning, feeling more relaxed and at ease than he had in ages.

He should have remembered he was a person good things rarely last for though, as not two hours after Marie's departure he'd caught a familiar scent on the stairwell.

oOo


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: I update probably too fast for my own good, but I wrote two chapters today and was really proud of myself and just had to post another chapter on her even though I literally updated like two days ago. Apparently, I don't know how to keep myself or my stories with any allure of mystery!_

 _Also just wanted to say, so grateful for all the views (226!), but gentle reminder that comments, questions, constructive criticism (basically any type of review!) feeds, sustains, and energizes the reader, and I am starving!_

oOo

Luna lay in bed thinking about her visit earlier that day to Remus' house, still unsure how she felt about it all.

Sex was natural, it was healthy. Fundamentally she knew this, and it was something she was comfortable thinking and discussing about, despite her lack of actual experience with it aside from her hand. But other people had sex. Bill and Fleur had sex, she knew. She could smell it on them without their knowledge unintentionally on most mornings, and while most people would have been appalled or uncomfortable with the fact of how often the couple did it, a small part of Luna was glad to know that despite more than a year having passed, it seemed Bill and Fleur were still in a sort of honeymoon phase. She was happy for them.

Remus had lost his girlfriend, Nymphadora Tonks, nearly two years ago in a battle against Death Eaters. Luna knew that Remus' closest friends from his childhood had all died, and he had no family to speak of. He had led a tragic life and had only a small, close-knit circle of friends he cared for, and no significant other anyone knew of. Remus was her friend, much the way Bill and Fleur were, and so she should be glad that he was getting sex.

Yet she wasn't, and she couldn't figure out why.

So far, the only reason Luna could think of was that perhaps a part of her still saw her as a professor, and so it was odd to think of him as having sex.

Yet that didn't make complete sense either. The last full moon when Remus had been dressed in his pajama like clothes before the full moon she had just been thinking about how attractive he was. So of course, it only made sense that it shouldn't be difficult for Remus to have sex with women.

Luna was getting dizzy with how much she was going over this again and again in her head. She turned over and focused on falling asleep, vaguely thinking about how she was still as of yet unsuccessful with attaining some time with Remus, and the fact that she was becoming obsessed with getting that time.

oOo

Remus took a deep breath and knocked on the door of Shell Cottage. It had taken a few days, but he supposed now that enough mornings had passed for him to get over enough of his embarrassment to pay Luna a visit. That and Fleur had sent him a very strongly worded owl reminding him that he had agreed to serve as Luna's mentor and that mentors usually needed to be present in order to do so.

Remus had reluctantly agreed to stop by during lunch while she and Bill were out. The main reason being that he could spend a shorter amount of time with Luna without Bill and Fleur knowing, and also his friends would not be witness to any displays of awkwardness he might give in front of the younger girl.

Remus winced as he thought about Luna showing up at his flat the morning after a night of his proclivities. He didn't think he had ever felt so flustered, and in the presence of someone so much younger than him. If it hadn't been for Luna's damned improving senses, she might have never guessed what he had been up to the night before, but he could tell by the lovely shade of pink marking her cheeks that she could guess all too well what had occurred only hours before her visit.

Remus had never thought of sex as something to be ashamed of, especially now that he was a thirty-seven year old man for Merlin's sake. Remus had been glad of what had happened, his night with Marie had been wonderful and he had thought that it was enough for him to rid Luna of his thoughts. He'd certainly not thought of Luna all morning before she'd arrived.

It was when he did, however, that he felt an inexplicable sense of shame and what he suspected was guilt, which was ridiculous considering he owed no one explanations or permission for what he did in privacy. Yet there was something about the way Luna's eyes had widened at him in surprise and.. something else he couldn't quite place. He almost wanted to say disappointment, but that wasn't right. There was no reason for Luna to have felt disappointment in that moment, it just didn't make sense within the context.

Remus had spent the rest of the day trying to forget coming to his flat, and trying to ignore the fact that he was now realizing how much of his time with Marie had been spent with him burying his face into her blonde hair, not dissimilar to Luna Lovegood's hair.

Remus had not a moment more to contemplate how wrong that thought was before Luna opened the door to Shell Cottage, her eyes wide in surprise at the sight of him.

"Remus," she greeted in that dreamy voice of hers.

"Hello Luna," Remus greeted back, clearing his throat after the slight rise in his voice before continuing. "Fancy a walk?"

Remus was surprised by how quickly Luna's face brightened into a grin at his request as she nodded vigorously. "I'll just grab a sweater," Luna skipped into the house, the lovely hair Remus loved so much dancing after her before she returned wearing a dark blue poncho-like sweater paired with silver rain boots that nearly reached her knees. Remus smiled slightly, noting that he'd never noticed how endearingly knobby her knees were before walking alongside Luna down to the sand.

The two walked in silence for some time, Remus silently wondering if she felt as awkward as he did. He was just about to open his mouth and apologize, not able to bear the silence any longer, when Luna beat him to it.

"You must own a lot of pajamas."

Remus blinked in confusion, "Pardon?"

Luna shrugged, "I mean that you've gone through full moons for nearly all your life. That must mean you've owned a lot of pajamas that get torn and discarded because of it."

Remus' brow still furrowed, unsure of where Luna was going with this, though he had an idea. "I suppose."

"You disagree?"

"Well, no, you're right, multiple transformations could mean many torn and ruined clothing." Remus was beginning to get irritated.

"Could? Do you mean yours hasn't?"

Remus was certain now of where Luna was trying to get him to say and he sighed, supposing that there couldn't be too much harm in saying so, "Being a werewolf, until recently, really limits your job opportunities and benefits, which means lack of money, which means I typically couldn't before afford constantly buying new clothes to wear before transformation. So mostly when it is the night of the full moon I'll just strip beforehand so as to not tear my clothing."

Remus knew that this is what most werewolves did and that nudity was completely natural, especially when one was on their own before a transformation, the process being able to be compared to removing one's clothes before a shower in a way. Still, he couldn't help the slight warmth he felt at the back of his neck as Luna nodded, waiting for her to respond.

"That makes sense. I was thinking it would be better to do it that way as I'm quite fond of most of my pajamas," Luna said casually. Remus was not brave enough to ask whether or not she meant to begin removing her clothing before a transformation before or after Remus would no longer join her for transformations.

"I wanted to apologize Luna, if I made you in any way uncomfortable the other day...when you came by," Remus said then, hoping he didn't sound as awkward to her as he did to himself.

"There's no need for you to apologize for what you do with your private time Professor," Luna said quietly, though something about the way she paused so long before she said so made Remus think otherwise. Luna went on, "I apologize if I made you uncomfortable stopping by. I should have owled before to ask if it was a good time."

Remus silently chided himself for allowing the younger girl to realize he had been uncomfortable. "Nonsense," Remus told her.

Both were silent again for some time before Luna spoke quietly again. "I hadn't realized you had a girlfriend Professor."

There's that disappointed tone again.

 _Don't be ridiculous._

"I don't," Remus told her awkwardly, wishing the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

Luna actually stopped walking to look up at him, her thin golden eyebrows nearly touching as she stared up at him in confusion. Remus ignored the way the pale column of her neck was exposed more as it strained with her having to look up so high at him

"It was a lady friend who came over the night before you came by my flat," Remus mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away from her neck. "It's quite casual, she's not at all my girlfriend."

Luna's forehead smoothed over as she seemed to understand now that was Remus had been up to had been a casual shag, a one-night-stand.

"Oh," Luna said in what could be mistaken as a chipper tone and Remus hoped he wasn't blushing.

The two walked on and Remus hoped that was all that would be spoken about on the subject, but then she continued, "Why don't you have a girlfriend Professor? You're a good man."

Remus was glad he didn't trip at Luna's blunt question. A part of him was bothered she would even ask this question, as it was one he hadn't been asked by anyone since Nymphadora's death. Enough time had passed since then that although he still felt a pang of sadness when he thought of her, he had had time to heal from her passing and could go for weeks now without even thinking of her. Occasionally he would feel guilty about this, as he had told Bill once, but the younger man had comforted him in telling him that it was natural to move on, healthy in fact.

Remus was tempted to tell Luna that he didn't have a girlfriend because he was still hurting over Nymphadora, but he knew that would be a lie. A part of him would always belong to her, but enough time had passed that he was no longer physically in love with her. To be completely honest, Remus hadn't had a girlfriend because he had been so busy with the war that he had simply had no time or energy to romance a young woman. Now that the war was over however, he was yet unsure if he wanted to do anything about his lack of a romantic partner.

Remus eyes strayed to Luna's neck once more, "I just haven't found the right person yet, I suppose."

Luna smiled at him and he could feel the warmth blossoming in his chest, "I think you will."

oOo

Luna breathed in the fresh smell of her bathrobe as she wrapped it around herself after stepping out of the bath. It was a full moon tonight, and like last month Bill and Remus were already outside waiting for her and Fleur.

Three days ago Luna had visited Hogwarts to turn in homework and take a Potions exam, during which she had also stayed behind to pick up her Wolfsbane from Professor Slughorn. Remus had been right, it tasted terrible and Luna had momentarily feared she would puke up the brew after taking it, but was luckily able to keep it in.

Fleur joined Luna on the walk down to the beach, and like last time she and Bill hugged her comfortingly, reminding her that the transformation would be better this time with the help of the Wolfsbane before they departed to go back up to the cottage.

Like last time, Luna noticed how much younger Remus looked with less clothes on. The image of his unkempt bed briefly flashed across her mind and she was suddenly thinking about how she and Remus could almost be mistaken for a couple in their pajamas preparing for bed.

Luna giggled at the thought, drawing Remus' attention to her who had previously been staring out at the ocean waves. Luna smiled warmly at him, and despite his confusion at what she had found so funny, he grinned back at her, his graying bangs moving lightly across his forehead in the wind.

Then the pain began.

When Luna was conscious again she was aware of the ache in her bones. They felt like they had been torn apart and she felt somewhat nauseous, but she was also aware of how different her stomach felt, as if it wasn't where it was supposed to be. In fact, her entire body felt as if it wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Luna felt a small prodding on her side and slowly opened her eyes to be met with two golden eyes staring down at her. The eyes were immediately recognizable as Remus', but they were held in the form of a large brown wolf.

Luna stared in awe at Remus' werewolf form.

 _He's beautiful. Strong._

 _He is._

Remus tilted his head endearingly at her and then pressed his snout to her side again as if urging her to get up. Luna processed finally that she was in wolf form as well, and for the first time she was conscious to witness it. Luna looked down at the two white paws and looked up at Remus in bewilderment. He nodded his head as if to confirm that yes, those paws belonged to her and then nudged her again.

Luna could tell he was trying to get her to stand up and so after a moment of mentally preparing herself, she did.

It was strange being on four legs, and it took Luna a few trembling steps before she was able to maneuver herself correctly, but once she had gotten the hang of it, she looked over to where Remus sat watching her. Luna wanted to smile, but as a werewolf it translated into her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Remus snorted as if laughing and she repeated the gesture.

Remus stood and walked over to her, nudging her once more and walking beside her at a quicker pace than she was and she discovered he was encouraging her to run. Luna tripped more times than she would have liked but next thing she knew she was running and soon she was racing with Remus.

She barked and snorted in laughter, prancing about the sand and rolling around in it as well. Remus only snorted as he stared at her.

Soon Luna began nudging at Remus to join her but the older werewolf seemed far more content to just sit and watch.

Luna could hear herself whine as she rolled on the floor before Remus.

Luna was more content than she could remember being in far too long. Putting aside the pain of transformation, being a werewolf was the most fun and exciting experience. She was conscious of her thoughts and feelings, but she was also more aware of her the wolf in her and her feelings as well. Like her, her wolf was young and quite playful, an emotion that transferred over to Luna and made her want to run and prance and roll around the sand. Having another werewolf nearby for company only elevated these feelings and she wanted desperately for him to join her.

Luna felt almost like a child in this form, a child who just wanted to cuddle and play. She whined and rubbed her face against Remus' side. She wanted to play and she wanted him to join her.

Finally he did and Luna barked in happiness as she ran, Remus close behind chasing her, nipping playfully at her tail and the backs of her legs. Remus pounced on her carefully and they wrestled on the sand. He let her have the upper hand for a few moments before the alpha in him took over and he easily took back the higher position of power, rising over her and nipping at her ears.

Luna was vaguely aware of wondering what this behavior might have looked like in their human forms, but she was having far too much fun to think on it for too long.

All she knew was that she had never had so much carefree fun in so long, and soon she was howling at the moon in her joy.

She looked over at Remus who she swore rolled his eyes before he too joined her in howling at the moon. Luna practically trembled in happiness.

oOo

When Luna awoke after the transformation, the air was cold on her sore bones and naked limbs. She groaned quietly at how stiff she felt.

She smiled slightly as she realized that the Wolfsbane had worked. She could clearly recall all the fun she had had during the night with Remus for company. The pain was still unbearable, and she wished the potion was able to at least dull the pain, but aside from that she was still in shock of how much she had enjoyed being a werewolf. It was fun, and she couldn't help but wonder why it was that in the books she had read about lycanthropy had never made any mention of how exhilarating it was to be in werewolf form. Remus too had been such fun. She would have never guessed how willing he would be to essentially play and wrestle with her, as if he were still only a cub.

Thoughts of Remus finally convinced Luna to open her eyes and search out Remus who she found lying nearby, still asleep.

Luna could feel her cheeks warm at the sight of him.

Remus lay on his stomach with the side of his face also pressed against the sand. Luna thought about keeping her eyes trained solely on his peaceful face, clear of wrinkles in sleep. She thought about restraining her eyes to his brown hair streaked with gray shifting lightly with the ocean wind like the sea grass, but her eyes strayed lower. She noted his narrow but strong back, littered with scars and freckles, rising slowly then lowering with the deep breaths of slumber. Her eyes strayed to the slight dip at his lower back and then to the slight but pleasing upward curve of his buttocks, the sight of which did strange things to the pit of Luna's belly before she moved on to admire his legs, long and strong.

Luna was vaguely aware of the fact that she was watching her naked professor sleep peacefully unaware of her gaze, lying only a few feet from her own naked form. She knew that if she wanted to, she could reach out and touch the skin of his arm to test whether it really was a soft and firm as she imagined.

Luna sat up when she heard Bill and Fleur coming down from the cottage towards him. Luna let her eyes linger on Remus a moment longer before she turned away, waiting for Fleur who came to her, wrapping a new bathrobe around her shoulders and leading her back up to the cottage.

Luna was silent, telling Fleur she wasn't hungry when they were indoors and saying she was really just more exhausted than anything else and crashing onto her bed.

With her cheek pressed against her pillow, Luna drifted off into dreamland, her chest and belly warm as she thought of her ex-professor, unkempt bed sheets, and the smell of the dawn air.

oOo

Luna woke nearly a day later, the sun only just starting to rise, the air still cold from the lingering night air. It was getting colder now that October was coming in a few days. Luna blinked groggily, her limbs warm beneath her sheets, albeit still somewhat sore and tired. Her stomach rumbled and she realized it had been her hunger that had awoken her.

Luna sat up slowly and took a moment to clear her mind before deciding to go downstairs and scrounge the kitchen for something to eat before returning to bed.

Luna wrapped one of her sheets around her shoulders and stopped by the bathroom for a moment to brush her teeth before heading downstairs. It was on the stairs that she smelled him, and it was with a small surprise that she noticed Remus Lupin's figure slumbering on one of the couches in the living room. Luna ignored the strange nervousness she felt and approached Remus.

He was dressed now, in a warm-looking long-sleeve and sweats. His feet were covered in wooly socks. He must have been too tired to apparate home after the full moon.

Luna felt that somewhat unfamiliar warmth in her chest she had felt in watching Remus sleep. He was handsome, Luna had known this all along, but it seemed so much more pronounced now as he slept.

Luna worried her bottom lip before heading into the kitchen and making some eggs and toast for two.

Luna returned to the living room and nudged gently at Remus' shoulder and watched, fascinated, the way his facial expressions changed before he finally took in a deep loud breath and opening his golden honey eyes up at her. Luna smiled warmly at him as he stared up at her in sleepy confusion, as if unsure of where he was or what Luna was doing.

"Are you hungry," Luna whispered, even though it was very early and very unlikely that she would wake Bill or Fleur if she spoke at a normal level.

Remus blinked before he finally seemed to recall where he was and then smiled groggily in a way that made Luna's heart flutter with affection for the older man. Remus nodded and slowly sat up with a groan and accepting the plate Luna placed on his hands.

Luna joined him on the couch and together the two ate silently, occasionally making eye contact when Luna would smile at him. Remus seemed a little confused still at why Luna seemed so keen to smile every time he looked at her, but he would mirror her smile every time and did not seem at all unpleased with it.

Remus was nearly done with his toast when he asked, "You remember last night then?"

Luna nodded and tried to ignore how lovely Remus' voice sounded, still husky with sleep.

"Thank you, for being there with me. It was fun. You're fun," Luna said quietly, biting her bottom lip so as to try and contain her smile.

Remus chuckled quietly, deep in his chest in a way that made Luna warm.

"Only because you're there I assure you. Usually when I'm alone and transform I just sleep. I haven't really played since my school days," Remus admitted.

"Still, I appreciate you humoring me," Luna grinned.

"It was my pleasure. I had fun as well you know," Remus smiled gently.

Luna grinned again before her expression turned solemn. "I'm sorry you've had to go through so many years turning alone. I don't remember what it was like to be a wolf without the Wolfsbane, but I imagine it must be terribly lonely."

Remus eyes softened at her with what Luna could almost call affection. "Its fine Luna, I've become used to it," his eyes twinkled then. "I've enjoyed my time spent with you though. I almost look forward to transformation now."

Luna couldn't contain her grin at his words and looked down at her lap to hide her blush. She heard Remus yawn and realized that her own eyes were beginning to droop with sleepiness.

"I should go back to bed now," Luna said quietly as she stood.

Remus was already beginning to slide back down the couch, ready to fall back asleep.

Before Luna quite knew what she was doing, she had leaned forward and placed light peck of her lips on Remus' temple and straightening back up to stare down at him in shock, as if he had been the one to kiss her.

Remus stared up at her with wide eyes, his jaw tight, but other than that Luna was unable to read his emotions. Luna hurriedly said goodnight and walked briskly back up to her room and throwing herself beneath her covers, eyes closed shut.

She wanted to tell herself that she had no idea why she had done that, but as she drifted back to sleep she knew why she had and blushed with the realization of the fact.

She fancied Remus Lupin.

oOo

"Excuse me! Could I get that receipt please," the older woman's shrill voice startled Remus from his daze. Remus scrambled to hand the customer the receipt he'd been clutching in his hand. The woman sneered disdainfully at Remus who shamefully returned to his duties of reshelving books.

Thoughts of Luna Lovegood had been plaguing him since the full moon three nights ago.

He was completely smitten with her. It was undeniable.

She was clever and beautiful and kind and free with her friendly affection of him, as clearly demonstrated by the short kiss she had pressed against his temple.

Remus had been quite content to be awoken by Luna's small hand against his shoulder early in the morning. He could feel the warmth radiating off of her as she had sat beside him on the couch. It was early, but it did not shorten the number of smiles Luna would shoot his way, and Remus couldn't help but return them as he ate his food, amused by the younger girl's contentment.

The scene had felt all so domestic to Remus, how the two sitting in their pajamas and eating their breakfast made by Luna, comfortable in the quiet of dawn. He could almost fool himself into thinking that this was enough for him, that he could satisfy himself with just being Luna's friend and mentor, and bask in her presence.

But then she had gone ahead and kissed him.

Granted, it was a short kiss on only the safe territory of his temple, and he was sure Luna had meant it in only a friendly manner. But it was enough for Remus' affection to swell for her tenfold as he was surrounded by her radiating warmth, and her smell of jam and chocolate. Her soft, wild hair, had brushed his face as she leaned over her, and he had memorized the shape of her lips against his skin.

He had held his breath as he stared up at her, not trusting himself to speak as she pulled away from him. She'd looked somewhat shocked, from her boldness he assumed, but was unwilling to ask. All he could do was watch her walk away, leaving him more confused and restless than ever.

He'd quickly decided he couldn't stay any longer and got up to apparate to his flat.

Now all he could think about was Luna's lips and her warmth and how he felt whenever he was around her.

Remus had contemplated his feelings over the young Lovegood for weeks now, and in the beginning he had thought it was simple attraction that would go away with time. He felt his attraction was rooted from his own romantic loneliness and the fact that Luna, while a strange girl, was beautiful in her own way and her regular presence made that fact more recognizable to him.

It was after sleeping with Marie and his continued companionship with Luna that made him realize his feelings were much deeper than that. Luna was clever and kind, traits that would make any many attracted to her, but there was more. Remus was comfortable with Luna in a way he wasn't with everyone. He did not fear her opinion of him, as he knew she genuinely liked and appreciated him as a person. She had never looked down at him for his condition and had kept his secret for months without his knowing, much the way Hermione had.

And he was happy with her. That was most important of all. He couldn't recall having so much fun with someone besides Sirius in a very long time. He looked forward to being in Luna's company even if he knew nothing would come of it. Despite his awkwardness and nervousness, he was content in her presence and was always sad to leave her or to see her go.

Remus was starting to realize that he was stepping into very dangerous territory. He was old enough to recognize that his fancy for Luna could run much deeper and become much more problematic if he continued as he was.

There was a part of him that wanted to damn it all to hell and simply let himself be happy as he knew his friends would want him to be, but his situation with Luna was not as it had been with Nymphadora.

Nymphadora had been much younger than him as well, and while everyone had told him that age was just a number and that he deserved to be happy, he doubted everyone would be as receptive to a relationship between him and Luna. Luna was much younger than Nymphadora had been, and she was underage. While Nymphadora had been young, she had not been so young that she could have been his daughter. Nymphadora had not been his student at the age of twelve.

Should anyone ever discover what he felt for Luna they would be disgusted with him, probably report him to the Ministry.

Merlin only knew had one of his colleagues or friends been involved with someone as young as Luna, he would have had to consider the same thing.

His feelings for Luna would have to be ignored.

He would continue to mentor her and he would do his best to not avoid her, as he had learned that whenever he tried to do so it never worked, but he would not go out of his way to see her. Luna would move out of Bill and Fleur's home eventually, or else return to Hogwarts, and soon she would more than likely not even need his mentorship. He would not have to be in her presence forever, and he would just have to restrain himself until that time came.

oOo

October went by slowly for Luna. Most of her days were spent reading and working on schoolwork. Fridays were busy with her weekly trips to Hogwarts to turn in her assignments and to take exams, and she always lingered to chat with friends and meet up with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville. Most times they would all visit Hogsmeade where the group had fun and could talk away from the castle where so much had happened in the past few years.

Luna still spent most of her time with Bill and Fleur, though the cottage could get quite lonely sometimes as the two were working so much.

And of course there was Remus.

Luna had never felt this way before. She'd fancied boys over the years of course, thought some of them cute and endearing, but she had never seriously liked anyone, until Remus.

Remus still came about twice a week to visit Bill and Fleur, and her too now she supposed. As before, Luna was always fascinated watching Remus, seeing how much loosely he expressed his laughter as compared to her second year. She supposed a part of her was so fascinated because in the back of her mind, she had never imagined seeing him in this new light, but also because of her newfound feelings for him.

Luna found her eye's straying ore and more often to the older man, her eyes lingering on his honey eyes and his lovely skin. She admired his hair that she imagined would yield softly to her fingertips, and she like how tall he towered over her despite her own considerable height. She liked the comforting rumbling of his laughter, and the relaxed manner in which he sat. She liked how quick his humor was, and how clever his mind. She liked the way he held a glass of elvish wine in his strong hands and the way his eyes drooped when he got sleepy.

She enjoyed his company and looked forward to his visits to Shell Cottage. She loved standing or sitting near him, and treasured their walks along the beach as they discussed different topics on lycanthropy and his own experiences with it. She loved the warmth in her heart that she felt whenever he genuinely grinned at her in an almost boyish manner, truly charmed or amused by whatever she had just done or said.

Even when he was not around she found herself thinking about him, wondering what he was up to and if he ever thought of her. They were silly wonderings, she knew this. What could Remus possibly see in her, but still her mind did wander.

Luna knew it was unlikely Remus would ever look at her as anything more than his ex-student, or a casual friend, but she did her best not to let it bother her. It was getting harder and harder however as the month went by and Luna began to notice more and more how distantly Remus looked at her.

Luna wasn't sure how to explain it, but she was sure that even though he still saw and spoke to her regularly, Luna could sense Remus slowly putting up a wall around himself, as if he was trying to hold back something from her and everyone around him, and she couldn't understand what it was or why.

oOo

 _P.S. Author's note: For those of you following, you may have noticed this story's title has changed from "Bloodied but Alive" to "This In-Between Space."_

 _For those of you who care to know about origin stories, the tile of this story and the decision to think of a story with two characters that are rarely put together, came from two sentences in a fanfic I read. The two sentences are completely unsuggestive of a possible anything between Remus and Luna, but just putting them in the same paragraph was enough for me to think of the possibility of a relationship between the two._

 _For those of you interested, the fanfic was Two Steps From Hell by ssserpensssotia with a Voldemort/Hermione pairing. It's considerably long but actually very very good if you wanted to check it out._

 _I loved the way "bloodied but alive" had sounded in ssserpensssotia's fic, however I'm not sure how I feel about it as a title. Which is why I changed it to "This In-Between Space" which is more relevant to this story anyway as you will learn in Chapter 8._

 _Boy do I talk a lot. Okay, that's enough. Happy New Year!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Hello all! I hope you have been all enjoying your winter holidays and sticking to your New Years Resolutions so far! Just an update, I am currently working on Chapter 12 of this story and I am trying to make it so that this story finishes at twenty chapters, twenty-five at the absolute latest. I have a fairly solid outline of the story though and am confident I will not exceed that number. That being said, there is definitely room for ideas or things you might like to see in this story, I am pretty open to suggestions unless they conflict with something I already have planned. Just throwing that out there._

 _For now, Enjoy!_

oOo

Remus stared up at the horizon as he stood at the beach, Bill at his side. It was going to be a cold night, but Bill and Fleur were talented enough at spells that he was sure their warming charms would hold throughout the night.

It was a full moon and soon the sun would set, and if he was not mistaken Fleur and Luna were already making their way down to the beach. One quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that the two women were indeed coming down, Fleur dressed in boots and a warm jacket while Luna shivered in her bathrobe, her trembling not pausing until she was within the warmth of the wards.

Bill clasped Remus' shoulder in good luck before going to hug Luna after Fleur did and then joining his wife back to the Cottage.

Remus turned to the younger girl, trying to ignore the fact that she looked somewhat small in her large fluffy bathrobe.

"You ready," Remus asked her.

Luna nodded, a slight smile on her pale pink lips. "I'm ready. I'm not as scared now."

Remus was pleased to know that, knowing her well enough now to tell that she was being honest. He knew that despite the pain of the transformation she enjoyed being in wolf form. It still astounded Remus how comfortable Luna was with it all. It had taken him years to be comfortable in his wolf form, even after he began taking Wolfsbane. It was even more years after that that he was able to form a semi-acceptance of the wolf's constant presence at the back of his mind.

Remus was distracted momentarily by his thoughts when he realized the sun had nearly fully set and he was beginning to feel the moon's pull. Out of old habit, Remus momentarily forgot he was still in Luna's presence and pulled his shirt off in preparation for the transformation.

He nearly didn't catch the slight intake of breath Luna made, but he certainly could not mistake the smell.

Arousal.

Remus slowly turned to look at Luna and felt his heart drop at the way she was staring at him. She held herself absolutely still, but her pale pink lips were slightly parted and somewhat wet, as if she had just dabbed her bottom lip with her tongue. Her pupils were dilated, more than he had ever seen them.

The arousal was coming from her, it was unmistakable with its slight scent of eucalyptus unique to Luna, and it had occurred the moment Remus had taken off his shirt in her presence.

Luna was attracted to him.

He didn't think Luna herself was even aware of her own arousal, which left Remus in the predicament of whether or not he should say anything, but before he could really consider it, the moon's pull had gotten stronger and he could feel his bones beginning to crack with the beginning of the transformation.

oOo

Remus woke suddenly, as if he just had a bad dream.

"Remus."

Remus bit back his groan and opened his eyes to see Luna sitting nearby.

Remus' heart stopped as he was momentarily transfixed by the sight before him.

Luna sat with her arms hugging her knees pressed close to her chest. She was angled with only her side to him. Her position made it so that while she was clearly completely naked, he could see nothing of her breasts or other parts, that white-blonde hair of hers long and wild enough to hide everything so that he could only admire the curve of her legs and spine, and the arch of her arm.

And her face. How could he not stare into that lovely face of hers as she stared down at him, her eyes big and round above that pert nose and soft lips. The sun had already begun to rise behind her and the paleness of her skin and hair made her positively glow.

Despite her nakedness and the way she held herself, Remus could see Luna was comfortable in her own skin, unlike how he imagined most girls her age to be.

Luna smiled softly at him and Remus was sure his mouth had gone dry at the sight. When he felt his cock twitch he was embarrassingly reminded of his own nakedness and quickly sat up, crossing his legs and holding his hands over his lap to cover himself. Remus remained absolutely still and did not breathe until Luna said quietly, "Good morning."

Remus wasn't sure if he was mistaken but he was almost sure her voice had held a teasing tilt to it.

"Morning," Remus responded gruffly out of politeness.

They waited quietly for Bill and Fleur to come down with an extra set of clothes.

oOo

 _She's attracted to you. She wants you._

 _She doesn't know what she wants. She's young. I'm sure she just isn't used to seeing a man with his shirt off._

 _You want her._

Remus growled, wishing not for the first time that his condition truly only affected him once a month and that he didn't have to deal with this wolf in his head who bullied him.

His wolf was right though, and he recalled his realization at the dining table at Shell Cottage the morning after the full moon a few days ago as he ate his breakfast prepared by Bill and Fleur.

As he ate he would look over at Luna who would look away with a blush on her cheeks and he would realize that she had been sneaking glances at him. It was as he ate that he realized this wasn't the first time he had noticed.

All last month he had noticed how much more affectionate Luna had been with him. She let her eyes drift to and linger on him more often, she had placed her hand on him more, a gesture he had mistaken as casual and friendly. She smiled more in his presence, not that she hadn't before, but it seemed more deliberate now.

Not to mention the sweet smell of her arousal.

The possibility that perhaps Luna was attracted to him was slowly beginning to dawn on Remus, and he was unsure of what to do with that information.

oOo

"A dinner, here," Luna asked after Fleur had announced her idea to throw a small get-together at Shell Cottage with all the Weasley's as well as a few others.

"I know it's quite small, but there are charms to magically expand the house for a few hours. Besides, I thought it might be nice to give Mrs. Weasley a break and have dinner here," Fleur explained.

Luna nodded thinking it'd be a nice change to have everyone at Shell Cottage rather than at their usual choice of residence at The Burrow.

Remus would be at dinner, of that she was sure, and she was eager to see him.

Remus hadn't been around as often as he usually was, and of course Luna had noticed. Usually, Luna would be annoyed with that fact, thinking that perhaps he was avoiding her, especially after what had happened the night of the full moon.

It had taken Luna a day, but finally she had realized why Remus had acted so strange the morning after the full moon. When it dawned on her that Remus must have sensed how attracted she was to him when he pulled his shirt off, she had been racked with shame and embarrassment that Remus had had to find out that way. He must have been horrified. She had dreaded seeing him ever again, but that quickly changed the next time Remus had stopped by Shell Cottage.

Luna noted the slight blush on his cheeks when he saw her and she noted the way his eyes glanced at her much the way she did to him. He noticed how sweet he looked when he smiled at her, and how he seemed to enjoy her closeness almost as much as she did his.

Luna tried not to delude herself into thinking that Remus felt for her the way she did him, but the thought was incredibly difficult to ignore.

oOo

Remus sat on a chair in Shell Cottage's living room conversing amicably with Harry and Ron Weasley, all three holding a glass of elvish wine.

It was not lost on Remus how strange it was to be sitting here with these young men who had not so long ago been underage and his students, and how he was now sharing drinks with them. He enjoyed this new chapter in their lives though. It felt like gaining many more friends rather than awkwardly trying to make conversation with students.

The entire atmosphere at Shell Cottage was cheerful. It seemed that getting everyone out of The Burrow was doing wonders for everyone's spirits. The new location and the small coziness of it forced everyone to stand or sit close together, the sounds of multiple conversations going on at once brimming to the top in every room of the small cottage, but it was all good. Remus couldn't help but think that the atmosphere was somewhat reminiscent of Christmas holiday.

Remus felt his eyes drift over to a certain blonde in the crowd, as his eyes had tended to do so all night long.

She looked lovely in the flowy lavender dress she was wearing as she stood on the other end of the room, conversing with George Weasley who was looking well also. Remus only had eyes for Luna however, admiring the silver dangly earrings she was wearing, exposed due to how Luna had raise the top half of her hair into a ponytail. He quite liked that hairstyle on her, and was thinking about how he would very much like to run his hands through it when her eyes caught his gaze.

Luna smiled brilliantly at him, a small twinkle in her cerulean eyes that he had noticed as of late was reserved specifically for him. He couldn't help but shoot her a grin before Luna was distracted by something George had said.

Remus liked to think he was old enough at this point to know when a woman was attracted to him, and he could say with certainty that Luna Lovegood fancied him. The thought was both a pleasing and dangerous one. Luna fancied him and it was a fact that he did not think he could ignore any longer just as he could no longer ignore the way Luna's eyes always sought him out, how her touch lingered when she hugged him in greeting or goodbye, how she always seemed to gravitate closer to him, and of course how her eyes twinkled whenever they met with his.

He knew Luna fancied him, and while it was obvious to him, he was yet uncertain if anyone else had noticed. What worried him was whether or not anyone else could tell how much he fancied the younger girl as well, especially Luna herself. He was finding it extremely difficult not giving his feelings away, especially whenever Luna looked at him the way she just had...the way she was looking at him right now...again.

Remus could feel his chest warm under her gaze but she was luckily distracted once again, only this time it was by Bill.

"Everybody, everybody, could you lend me your ears please," Bill was saying, standing from the couch where he had been conversing with Fleur, Molly, and Arthur.

"I'm afraid I can only lend one, mate," George said raising his glass to his brother, and Remus couldn't help but think about how far George had come if he was making jokes.

Bill laughed and continued on, "Well, first off we wanted to thank everyone for turning out tonight. We know the space is small, but it's nice having all our loved ones squeezed into one place."

Fleur smiled encouragingly at Bill who nodded and continued on more solemnly, "It's been a difficult year, for everyone. We've all worked to defeat a great evil, and we wouldn't even be here if it weren't for Harry. We've lost so much to the fight and we've worked so hard to stay sane. We've gone through so much, but I'm proud to be a Weasley, and I'm proud to stand here surrounded by everyone I love. We both are."

Everyone in the room remained silent for a moment, in respect to the words Bill had spoken. Remus was just beginning to wonder where his friend was going with all this when Bill then smiled down at Fleur, offering her his hand. Fleur smiled beautifully and accepted it, standing by Bill's side and allowing him to wrap his arm around her waist as she continued his speech, "What Bill is trying to say is that despite everything we have all gone through, there is only happiness to look for in our futures, together. We care deeply for each and every one of you, which is why we have gathered you all here together so that we can share with you the big news."

Everyone stared at each other in a confused way, and just as a few were on the brink of guessing what the big news could possibly be, Bill practically shouted the announcement, "Fleur's pregnant!"

There was a moment of silence before the entire room exploded with noise and commotion. Arthur and Molly sprang out of their seats, Molly bursting into happy tears and wrapping her arms around Fleur while Arthur clasped Bill in a fatherly embrace, staring down at his eldest with pride in his eyes. Charlie, George, and a few of Bill's friends who had been invited wolf-whistled and made lewd jokes, all in good fun of course. Hermione, Ginny, and Fleur's French friends squealed in excitement. Remus alongside Ron and Harry cheered happily, raising their glasses in salute. Luna clapped happily, jumping slightly where she stood.

"Congratulations mate," Remus murmured to Bill as they hugged when it was his turn to congratulate the couple. Remus then turned to hold Fleur gently in his arms, "You'll make a lovely mother Fleur."

"Thank you Remus," Fleur hummed sincerely, kissing his cheek.

The festivities went on much longer into the night than Remus expected it would have done had Bill and Fleur's pregnancy announcement not been made.

Fleur retired early as she was very tired and once she did that, slowly people began to filter out of Shell Cottage. On instinct Remus found himself cleaning up after people, knowing that Bill and Fleur still had work the next day. Molly was the last to leave, the Weasley matriarch making Remus promise to let him know if he needed any food sent over before she finally left.

Remus laughed to himself quietly when he heard noise in the kitchen. He'd been sure that Molly had been the last to leave, and as he entered the kitchen he realized it was Luna humming quietly to herself as she washed dishes the Muggle way.

Remus paused, having thought Luna had gone up to bed hours ago.

"Well, are you going to stand there or are you going to help," Luna teased quietly.

Remus started a little at her comment, not used to Luna speaking with him so teasingly, but then reminding himself that they had become familiar with each other over the past two months.

Very familiar, indeed.

Remus hushed the voice and stepped further into the room, pushing his shirt sleeves up to his elbows to take over the washing portion of dishes to allow Luna to dry. Remus kept his attention focused on the dishes rather on the smile and twinkling eyes he knew Luna was gracing him with.

"It's been a lovely night, hasn't it," Luna commented lightly.

Remus relaxed at this, nodding quietly in agreement, "That it has, probably one of the nicest nights this family has had in far too long."

"I'm so happy for Bill and Fleur. They'll make great parents. Their baby will be very loved."

"The most loved," Remus corrected, thinking of how happy the Weasley clan had been upon hearing the news.

"I suppose I'll start looking for a job soon," Luna sighed.

Remus frowned, "A job?"

Luna nodded, "Well yes. I would guess with Fleur being pregnant, she'll be taking time off work soon. I'm already such a burden to Bill and Fleur with both of them working. I want to begin contributing, as a thank you for all that they have done for me."

Remus could feel something panicking in himself, though he wasn't sure why, "Luna you know Bill and Fleur are more than happy to be hosting you here."

"I know," Luna shrugged. "Still, I was planning to find a job soon anyway. Just enough to start saving."

"Saving? Saving for what?"

"Well to move out of course!"

"Move out," Remus practically shouted and winced at the creak he felt in his neck from turning so sharply.

Luna laughed lightly. "Surely you didn't think I expected Bill and Fleur to support me to forever did you?"

Remus gaped, not knowing how to respond to that.

Luna, leave Shell Cottage? Logically Remus knew Luna was right, yet for some reason the news still came as a shock to him.

Remus stared into Luna's smiling eyes, the girl completely unaware of the turmoil racing through Remus's brain. She didn't know how Remus was struggling to come to terms with the fact that if Luna left Shell Cottage, he would see much less of her. She didn't know that if she left, Remus would have to go out of his way to see her, he would have to actively seek her out if he wanted to continue to see her, and doing that would mean admitting to himself that he wanted to see her. It would mean putting himself in a position where he couldn't just pretend to avoid her and still see her. He would have to go out of his way to see her and she would know, she would know that he wanted to see her too.

Remus was going crazy in his mind and all Luna could do was stand there smelling delicious and looking beautiful and smiling at him as if nothing at all was wrong with the world and all Remus wanted to do was wipe that smile off her face.

So he kissed her.

Before Remus knew what he was doing, he had lowered his lips to Luna's and they were as soft and warm as he had ever imagined. His nose brushed against hers and he could feel her eyelashes tickling his cheekbone. She smelled like jam and chocolate and he wanted to stay here forever, in the warmth of Shell Cottage with his cheek pressed against Luna Lovegood's.

But he couldn't, he knew he couldn't.

Before he could even allow Luna a chance to respond, before he could allow Luna to pull away in disgust, or Merlin forbid _return_ his kiss, Remus had stepped away from her lips and stared back at the wet and soapy dish he still held in his hands.

Remus could feel his face burning up, and he was acutely aware of how fast Luna's heart was hammering in her chest.

"Remus," Luna whispered quietly.

Before she could say more, Remus quietly muttered that he should go and walked as quickly as he could out of Shell Cottage before aparating away, the unwashed plate still gripped tightly in his hands.

oOo

Luna blinked as Professor Flitwick announced that the time given for the exam had run out. Luna felt her stomach drop as she looked down at her empty parchment, so distracted had she been that she couldn't even finish the assignment. So helpless did she feel that she couldn't even gather the motivation to try and explain herself to Professor Flitwick, instead only looking down at her feet shamefully as she turned her parchment in and hoping he wouldn't think too little of her.

Luna gathered her things and slowly began the long walk to the castle gates where she could apparate back to Shell Cottage, not in the mood to spend time with her friends today.

It had been a week since the party at Shell Cottage. A week since Remus had kissed her.

Luna sighed quietly at the memory of it, wishing that she'd had enough sense to kiss him back. Had she known that Remus would proceed to avoid her all the next week and not return her owls, she would have taken advantage of the kiss and returned it the moment his lips touched hers, if only to completely encapsulate every millisecond that Remus Lupin's lips had been on hers into her memory for the rest of eternity.

Luna had gone to sleep feeling warmer and happier than she had felt in so long. That night she had dreamed of running on the beach and a figure with fresh morning air and warm lips that tasted faintly of elvish wine. She'd gone to bed thinking happily of what the future might hold for her and Remus now that she knew with certainty that he fancied her back.

She should have known better though.

Luna had gone to bed knowing that Remus storming out of Shell Cottage wasn't exactly the reaction she expected after sharing a kiss with the man. However, she also knew that Remus was always hesitant with her, always slower to reveal how he truly felt. She had thought that maybe he just needed some time to gather himself.

But it had been a week already, and not only had Remus completely avoided Shell Cottage, he'd also ignored Luna's owls.

It hurt more than she wanted to admit.

She wasn't sure what she was going to do in just a few days when it was time for the full moon.

Potion.

Luna groaned remembering and turned back around to Professor Slughorn's office to pick up her monthly Wolfsbane. Slughorn was a lot more talkative than she preferred but finally she got her hands on the potion and began making her way once again to the castle gates.

It was as she turned the corner that she crashed into the man who had plaguing her thoughts for over a week.

"Remus," Luna gasped, staring up at the older man, who seemed just as surprised to be running into her.

"Luna." She could have sworn he groaned when he said her name.

Luna was sure Remus' face wasn't always nearly so white. He looked for the life of him like he wished he could have run into anyone else but her.

"What are you doing here?"

Remus only motioned to the potion she held in her hands and Luna realized he must be there to pick up his own potion from Professor Slughorn.

Luna frowned, rubbing her forearm nervously as the two stood in awkward silence. Luna wanted him to offer if not an apology, then at the very least some sort of explanation for why he had been avoiding her for all this time. She wanted to hear it, but it seemed Remus had no such explanation or apology, as he could only stare at her with his hands set stiffly in his pockets and his face looking more pained than usual.

Luna searched his eyes, willing them to look at her but they did not. He stood so cold and distant despite the fact he stood so close. It was becoming painfully clear that he was going to say nothing more to her, and she needed to leave before he noticed the tears gathering in her eyes.

Luna gripped the potion in her hand and slowly looked to the floor and began to brush past him.

She did not go more than ten steps before she had whirled around and blurted, "I like you."

"Luna," Remus frowned, looking clearly uncomfortable, but Luna was done being considerate of Remus' nature. She was done pretending and she was done keeping quiet about how she felt. Her father had raised her to be free with her emotions, and while she could recognize that Remus liked to keep his feelings close to his chest, she didn't have the patience to continue going at the pace that he would if she let him.

"I like you Remus, I like you and I think you like me to. You wouldn't have kissed me otherwise."

"It was a mistake," Remus pleaded with her.

Luna shook her head, "You're lying. I've seen the way you look at me."

Remus looked away, as if to hide how he felt, and Luna could feel her heart melt at how hard he tried to restrain himself. Luna sighed and stepped closer to him, speaking more quietly, "You're attracted to me, and I'm attracted to you, so why aren't we doing anything about it?"

"Because it's wrong," Remus said then, his eyes meeting hers.

"Why? Because I'm a few years younger than you? Because you're a werewolf? Remus you should know me well enough by now to know I don't care about that!"

Remus exploded then, "Well you should care Luna! Things may have changed after the war but there will always be prejudice. I have nothing to offer you! And one werewolf being with another isn't going to help you at all in the long-run. You have no idea what it's like to be ostracized by the only world you know! To have people you thought were your friends turn their backs on you with disgust! You may think becoming a werewolf is all very interesting and new now, but that it only because you're so young!"

Luna was taken aback by how Remus had raised his voice at her. She could feel her stomach wilt at how he had practically roared at her. Luna tried hold back the tears pricking the backs of her eyes as Remus went on, chuckling bitterly, quieter now, "Don't even get me started on your age. Merlin, look at what you're wearing."

Luna did not have to look down to realize he was referring to her Ravenclaw school robes, a testament to her young age and the distance between her and Remus.

Remus's expression was solemn as he went on, "I'm old enough to be your father, my dear. What's more, you're underage, not even out of Hogwarts yet. What would people think?"

Luna could feel herself losing this battle against Remus, even so, despite the tears spilling across her cheeks she went on weakly, "I don't care what people think."

"I do," Remus admitted quietly.

Luna stared a moment more at Remus, her heart pounding in her ears and her breath ragged. She could feel her body reacting physically to the conversation, meanwhile Remus for all the world looked like the picture of calmness and level-headedness as he stared at her with what Luna hoped was not sympathy. She could do nothing as Remus stared at her with pity before he began making his way in the direction of Professor Slughorn's office, leaving her alone once more.

oOo

Luna kept her eyes shut tight, curling deeper into the covers of her bed. It was a full moon that night, within the hour in fact, and she would be seeing Remus soon. For the first time Luna was dreading having to see the older man.

She had not seen him since their encounter in that Hogwarts corridor, the memory still seared painfully in Luna's mind. Luna did not want to see that look of pity on Remus' face again, that look he gave her for being honest with him about how she felt. She knew in her mind that Remus liked her, or was at least attracted to her. She knew this by the way his eyes lingered on her and all the other little details she had noticed in the past months. She knew how he felt about her, and now she knew why he would not act on these feelings.

It bothered her more than she wanted to admit, Remus' stance on all these things. Luna could understand where Remus was coming from, and his reasons for not wanting to pursue anything with her. She knew that perhaps some people would look poorly on them, but she also knew how many people would be so happy for them, amongst them their closest friends Fleur and Bill who loved them so much. She was confident that should they pursue their feelings for each other, everything would work itself out in the end, but Remus seemed incapable of seeing that. He was too concerned with worrying about the people who didn't matter.

Luna could only imagine what her father would say now. She was positive he would have encouraged her to pursue Remus if that was what she wanted, had he been alive. He would have been proud that she had found someone to care for and insisted she not hide away those feelings and let them be known. She had, finally, to Remus, but it seemed Remus would not be able to.

Luna did not know if she could live with herself hiding away what she felt for Remus.

There was a knock at the door, Fleur signaling that it was time. Luna reluctantly wrapped her robe closer around herself and got up to head down to the beach. She could feel her heart ache as she got closer to the shore where Bill and Remus stood, watching Remus in his old tattered pajama clothes.

When she and Fleur reached them Remus looked up at them, his eyes lingering on Luna before quickly looking away and then seemingly refusing to look at her.

Bill and Fleur left them, both with frowns on their faces, as if sensing there was some sort of tension but not understanding why.

Luna stared at Remus, his body was held stiff with tensions, he shoulders and neck rigid in their position as he had his face turned away from her.

"Is this how it's going to be from now on then," Luna asked quietly, the question surprising even herself.

Remus seemed to bristle at her voice, but he said nothing. Luna took a deep breath and stepped closer to him.

"Luna please," Remus begged, his voice thick and scratchy, and Luna caught a whiff of what he had smelled from her the month before, just a hint of arousal, the only possible explanation being Luna's nearness.

Luna did not pause in her steps, feeling Remus' scent causing a reaction in her own body.

Luna made a daring move and let her robe slip from her shoulders. While Remus may have not been looking at her, he must have been aware of what she had done as he stiffened even more and breathed in deeply through his nostrils. Luna rested her cheek against Remus' shoulder blade, "Please don't push me away."

"You're not making it easy," Remus groaned.

Luna smiled before she felt the pull of the moon.

"It's time," she said quietly, and then the transformation began.

oOo


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: Hello readers! I'm back with another chapter, considerably shorter than the usual chapter, however I hope that the contents make up for it a little. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

 _Also, I've finally finished outlines for every chapter this story and know exactly how this is all going to go down. The question is now, would you all rather know now exactly how many chapters this story will have or would you rather not know until we are near the end?_

 _Finally, while I may wish I am JK Rowling, I am not._

oOo

Remus muttered to himself as he walked along Diagon Alley, his hands deep in his pockets, bringing the flaps of his coat closer around him to ward off the winter chill. It had been days since the full moon, since Luna Lovegood had disrobed in his presence and pressed her soft cheek against his shoulder blade. Even through his t-shirt he had been able to feel the warmth radiating from her skin, and it was a feeling he had been obsessing over for days now.

The next morning Luna had smiled gently at him, thankfully already dressed in her robe again. She had waited patiently and looked away respectfully for him to get dressed before they headed up to the cottage for breakfast, Fleur and Bill still sleeping. They had eaten in silence, but it was a comfortable silence, like the one from that night Remus had slept over.

Luna seemed happy, and he wasn't sure why. He knew she knew how he felt about their entire situation, and while at Hogwarts she had seemed almost distraught at his words, the morning after the full moon she had seemed content and optimistic, and he couldn't understand why.

Remus had been avoiding Shell Cottage for the past few days to avoid Luna, unsure of how he was supposed to act in front of her. He felt like Luna somehow knew something he didn't, and he didn't really like that feeling because it left him not knowing where to proceed.

Luna officially had him in a whirlwind.

It was as Remus was trudging through the snow-filled streets and thinking of Luna, that he caught sight of a long main of white-blonde hair through one of the shop windows. Remus stopped in his tracks and stared into the window to see that Luna Lovegood was indeed inside Slug and Jiggers Apothecary.

Remus raced inside, immediately bombarded with the smell of rotten cabbage coming from the countless potion ingredients inside the job. Amongst them stacking up small vials along the shelves was Luna dressed in dark rain boots, a mint green frock and a light blue apron wrapped around her waist.

Luna turned at the sound of the front door's bell jingling and stared up at Remus with surprised eyes, framed by her lovely hair bringing some light into the shop.

"Remus, were you in need of some potions ingredients?" Luna asked politely, as if Remus weren't standing there gaping at her like an idiot.

"Since when do you work here," Remus practically shouted in his outrage and surprise of at Luna's obvious employment at the apothecary.

Luna grinned happily, "It's actually my first day."

Remus wanted to ask her why she hadn't told him, but he already knew the answer to that. He hadn't been around long enough for her to tell him, he hadn't given her any opportunity for her to tell him about this huge event in her life. He remembered her mentioning that she had wanted to start looking for employment, to ease the burden on Fleur and Bill and to begin saving to move out.

She was slipping away from him, and he was panicking.

"Remus, are you alright," Luna asked, genuine concern in her eyes as she stared at him.

Remus still found it endearing how much she worried for him, how much she cared. He knew he felt the same way. Here was this beautiful, smart, and independent young woman worrying over him, and he couldn't even construct an intelligent sentence in front of her.

"I'm fine," Remus grunted before Luna could place her hand on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him, as he was sure she would if he let her. "I'm just surprised that's all. I didn't expect to see you here."

Luna beamed looking around, "I was quite surprised actually when I was given the position. I almost didn't take it because the smell was so strong, stronger than I remembered it, but I'm pretty confident that I can find some plants that can block those out."

As Luna tittered on about her position and her responsibilities and all her ideas, Remus couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride on hearing her. It was only her first day and already Luna had big plans for the shop. She was truly a wonder and here he was denying her to himself.

 _You truly are an idiot._

Remus brushed aside the wolf and continued to listen politely to Luna.

"What do you think," Luna asked, whirling around to smile at him brightly.

"I think it's wonderful," Remus smiled honestly.

"You think so?"

"Without a doubt."

Luna practically bounced where she stood before she leaned in and hugged Remus. Remus could feel his heart pounding at her touch, but he let himself wrap his arms around her. He suspected Luna's excitement was rubbing off on him, because for once he simply let himself enjoy the feeling of Luna and her light safely tucked into his arms.

Luna pulled away much too soon, a lovely blush on her cheeks as she said, "I should get back to work."

Remus nodded, "So should I."

Remus was almost out the door when Luna stopped him again, "Are you going to the Weasley Christmas dinner?"

Remus smiled at her, "I wouldn't miss it."

oOo

Luna smiled happily from her perch on one of the Weasley couches, a glass of butterbeer in her hand as she observed the room.

Everyone was happy.

Luna had been concerned that the Christmas holiday could potentially be a sad one as it was the first Christmas for all of them without people who had always been present. Luna herself had woken up at that morning sad at the thought that this was her first Christmas without her father, and she could only imagine what the rest of the Weasley's had been feeling.

All was well however once everyone had gathered at The Burrow for Christmas dinner. It seemed that most everyone, despite the pain, was looking forward to the dinner, especially considering the new life that was on the way. Luna had already lost count of how many times everyone had gone to Fleur to coo over her belly, despite the fact that it was still flat and gave no hint that a baby was growing inside there.

All were in high spirits, including Luna.

Luna's eyes strayed to Remus who was sitting at the kitchen table still with Bill and Charlie. All men looked handsomely dressed in their Christmas best, but Luna's eyes were trained solely on Remus.

He was wearing a muggle suit she had never seen before, one she guessed he only brought out for special occasions. It was a light gray color that suited him and his sandy hair, the bangs of which were always falling into his amber eyes. He kept brushing them aside unconsciously, the movement so familiar for him.

Luna wasn't sure where she stood exactly with Remus, but she suspected it was a better place than that day in the Hogwarts corridors.

Since Remus had run into her at Slug and Jiggers, he had visited Shell Cottage a few times. Granted, he only came if Fleur and Bill were there, but at least he came and he was not ignoring her anymore.

Luna could still catch his eyes lingering on her whenever he thought she wasn't looking.

She wasn't sure what Remus was thinking however.

It seemed like he was trying not to be so tense around her, but she wasn't sure if it was because he wanted to begin what she wanted with him, or if he was just trying to stabilize them back to friendship. That second thought scared her. She was scared that she was getting her hopes up for something that might not happen.

But then he stared at her the way he was now.

Luna could feel herself flush as Remus turned and caught her eye, giving her a smile that made him look younger than his years. Luna smiled shyly back and watched as Remus turned back to the conversation he was having with Bill and Charlie.

"Luna."

Luna nearly jumped out of her seat as she turned to look at Fleur smiling down at her.

"Fleur."

"Would you mind walking with me up to Ginny's room? I think I'm going to lay down for a moment," Fleur said tiredly.

"Of course," Luna stood and walked with Fleur upstairs as the older woman thanked her, explaining she hadn't wanted to take Bill away from his talk with Remus and Charlie.

"Those two are his closest friends you know. Bill loves Remus like a brother," Fleur told Luna as they stepped into Ginny's room.

Luna smiled at the thought, "I'm glad they found friendship within each other. Remus needs more friends I think."

Fleur chuckled, "Agreed, but he's doing better. He seems happier somehow."

Luna hoped Fleur did not notice the blush on her cheeks. Fleur sighed as she settled on Ginny's bed.

Luna smiled at her sympathetically, sitting on the edge of the bed, "How are you feeling Fleur?"

"I'm doing alright, I'm happy," Fleur smiled softly. "I'm just tired all the time, I can only imagine what it's going to be like when this belly actually becomes a belly."

"You're going to do beautifully Fleur."

Fleur smiled and placed her hands over Luna. "Thank you ma chere. You know you don't have to leave don't you Luna? No one is kicking you out. We like having you."

Luna blushed slightly, "I know. I appreciate it. I just want to start being less dependent on others."

Fleur nodded with her eyes closed, "I understand."

Luna waited until Fleur's breathing deepened to that of deep sleep before she quietly slipped out of Ginny's room.

Luna was thinking of how kind the Weasley's had been to her as she made her way down the stairs when she ran into someone.

"Remus," Luna said as she stared down at the older man.

Remus' eyes were wide as he stared up at her, as though he were surprised to see her too.

"Luna."

Luna tried not to shiver at the way Remus breathed her name.

It was the first time they had been alone in each other's presence since the last full moon. It felt oddly intimate standing there in the narrow stairwell, dimly lit and warm from all the body heat rising from downstairs. They were in a sort of in between place, in the middle of two floors through which anyone could go up or down at any moment, and yet it felt like they were in a safe private bubble.

Remus must have felt the same way because he took another step up the stairs, closer to Luna. Since he had been going up and they were on the stairs, Luna for once stood taller than him. She kind of liked the position as it almost forced Remus' eyes to stare up directly into hers. They were darker than usual, Luna noticed. His eyes looked almost like molten amber pooling around his pupils. The air was heavy with...something.

"I still haven't given you your Christmas present," Luna breathed quietly, unsure as to why that particular thought was running through her mind.

Remus either didn't hear her or more than likely he chose to ignore her, as he stepped further up until his face was nearly level with hers, his nose only two inches from her.

Remus was staring at her in such a way that she didn't think anyone had ever stared at her before. She felt as if she were standing naked before him, despite her dark and modest dress that went all the way up to her neck, hiding even her collar bones. Even her legs were covered with black stockings, and yet she felt so exposed, in a good way though. She could feel her heart fluttering like that of a bird's.

She saw it coming, and yet she still had to process the shock when Remus leaned closer and captured her lips in his.

His lips were soft and sure as they slid against hers, his confidence encouraging Luna to press back against him. His kiss was warm and gentle as his lips coaxed Luna into kissing back, which she did tentatively, not out of lack of feeling for him but because part of her was scared that she had fallen asleep upstairs in Ginny's room and was only dreaming what was happening to her now.

So when Remus began to pull away as though to end the kiss, Luna unconsciously shook her head and wrapped her arms around Remus neck, pressing her lips more firmly against his not wanting the moment to end. Remus seemed encouraged by Luna's forcefulness and soon returned Luna's kiss with a passion she had not expected, the silent sliding of their lips against each other evolving to deeper kisses in which Remus' tongue was running along the seam of Luna's bottom lip begging for entrance.

Luna sighed, lightheaded as Remus slipped his wet tongue into her welcoming mouth, his tongue playing deliciously with hers. Luna felt her hands shaking a little as Remus groaned at the feeling of his tongue against hers and next thing she knew Remus' large strong hands were placed firmly on her slim hips, his body was drawing closer to hers as they leaned against the wall for support.

Luna could feel warmth pooling in her abdomen, producing a distinct scent she was slowly finding herself becoming more familiar with, a scent she could smell off of Remus now. Luna mewled helplessly, her senses overwhelmed with Remus and all the sensations he was causing in her body through just a kiss. Luna could swear she heard Remus growl in response to her as he pulled her hips closer to his so she was completely flushed against him.

Remus stilled then and a moment later Luna realized why. Someone was coming upstairs, Bill to be exact, if Luna's senses were correct.

The pair pulled apart, Remus' eyes searching Luna as he pulled away, though his hands remained on her hips.

Luna wanted to stay with Remus, she wanted to continue what was happening in this quiet corner of the stairwell. She wanted to talk with Remus and ask what was to happen next, but she also knew that it would not do to have Bill to walk in on them now and ask what was happening when they didn't even know themselves.

Luna nodded at Remus without even having realized he had been waiting for her permission. Remus slowly let his hands slip from her hips and slip quietly into a random room. Luna quietly slipped into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

As soon as Bill had passed by in the hallway she heard Remus come out and head back downstairs to the rest of the family. Luna stayed in the bathroom a little longer splashing water on her face in an attempt to cool her temperature and to soothe the redness of her lips from kissing Remus.

She stared into the mirror and grinned giddily to herself.

oOo

Remus was well and truly fucked. He had no idea what he was doing.

He had just made out with Luna Lovegood in the stairwell like some love-struck teenager with too many hormones than he knew what to do with. He had kissed her like a drowning man, aware of the feeling of his stubble against her young skin and his large hands on her delicate waist. He was aware of the arousal coming off of her in waves nearly knocking him out. Then Bill had come closer and the moment had ended.

They were playing a dangerous game.

Avoiding Luna was not working. If anything, it was only making his attraction for her increase, as evidenced by his inability to keep his hands to himself in the stairwell. He wouldn't have been surprised if he had scared Luna with his forwardness and she suddenly wanted nothing to do with him, but it seemed the opposite was true.

Luna had kissed him back with a fervor he would not have expected of the younger girl. She had him wrapped around her finger.

When Luna had come down to the main floor after him she had looked radiant, shooting him a beautiful smile before going over to talk with Harry and Ginny.

Remus was unsure now what he was supposed to do. He kept telling himself and then Luna that nothing could happen between them, and here he was snogging the poor girl with no warning.

He was being tested with a choice now, he knew. He could either be an asshole and go back to trying to ignoring Luna, which had proved unsuccessful in the past every time, or he could take a leap and try to pursue whatever it was that he had unintentionally started with Luna.

oOo

It was New Year's Eve and everyone had gathered together once more, only now the celebrating had been relocated to Grimmauld Place where Harry was currently residing.

It was an important night for Luna, as it would have been the first time since Christmas that she would get to see Remus. Luna was ready. She had taken great care in her appearance tonight. She had carefully selected shimmery dress that made Luna feel like one of those Muggle ballerinas. The skirt was long, going down past her knees, the top part form fitting against her slight figure, all held up by two thin straps on her bare shoulders. Luna had even pulled her hair up into a bun like a ballerina. She felt beautiful and confident in her clothing, excited for Remus to see her.

Remus, however, was nowhere to be found. Everyone had already eaten and had begun drinking and chatting merrily as they waited to countdown to the New Year that was to begin within two hours. Luna herself had already had a butterbeer and two glasses of elvish wine, but no sight of Remus.

Finally, Luna stood and made her way over to Harry.

"Harry Potter, did you not invite Remus to New Year's," Luna demanded to know.

Harry stared at her with wide eyes, obviously not used to Luna's voice sounding so testy. Harry exchanged glances with Ron and Hermione with whom he had been speaking to before referring back to Luna confused, "Of course I invited Remus Luna, but he didn't want to come."

Luna's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know. He didn't really say. I thought it was weird too and insisted he come, but he seemed pretty firm on not coming by."

Luna frowned and stepped away from the group, ignoring the golden trio's confused stares following her.

Luna was furious. She had spent all day excited about seeing Remus, eager to see him again after their kiss. She had even applied blush! That kiss had not been a casual kiss at all. It meant something, the beginning of new things, and what better time to begin something than on the New Year? It had to mean something.

 _Find him._

Luna frowned, unsure if that was her wolf talking or her slightly tipsy self speaking. Either way, before Luna could dwell on it for too long she had made up her mind.

Without even bothering to grab her coat, Luna went out to the front step outside Grimmauld Place and apparated to outside Remus' apartment building. Gasping at the sudden cold, she quickly made her way inside and upstairs until she was practically pounding on Remus' door, knowing for a fact by the smell that he was inside.

It took less than a minute for the door to be opened and revealed the tall form of Remus, clad in dark sweats and a t-shirt. The sight distracted Luna for a moment and she blushed staring up at him before remembering herself and storming inside without invitation.

"Luna?"

"Don't 'Luna' me," Luna whirled around to face Remus who was staring at her in confusion. Probably because Luna had never been so outlandish before.

Remus closed the door behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to ask you where you've been of course."

Remus sighed and looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. "Luna…"

"Don't even try to make up excuses Remus, I've had enough of them. And I've had enough of the waiting and not knowing. I want to know what's going to happen with us right now, once and for all. I can't take it anymore! I can't take being ignored and feeling like a shameful guilty pleasure. You've kissed me twice already and then ignored me like I don't exist, and I don't deserve that!"

Remus winced at Luna's passionate speech, he had the decency to look guilty as he admitted, "You're right. I've been terrible to you, and I'm so very sorry for it."

Luna's eyes softened, "I just need to know, are you attracted to me? Is this just all in my head?"

Luna tried to ignore the welling of tears she could feel behind her eyes. In that moment she felt more vulnerable than she had on the stairwell.

Remus's gaze softened too as he stared at her, stepping closer. Luna held her breath as he stood right before her, only a few breaths away. She was lost in his eyes as he rose a hand to brush a loose tendril of her blonde hair behind her ear.

His breath was ragged as he admitted, "Luna, I'm more attracted to you than I've been to anyone ever. You drive me crazy."

Luna tried not to whimper at his words and closed her eyes, feeling tears slide down her cheeks.

Remus cheek's felt soft against her as he pressed feather-light kisses on her eyes, his stubble whisking away her tears.

"I want to be with you Remus," Luna trembled as she whispered the words, noting how Remus' movements stilled. "I need to know that you do too, that you're willing to try."

Luna was just beginning to worry at Remus' stillness, worried that he would show her the door. Remus pulled away from her and she was just about to burst into heavier tears when he stared directly into her eyes and spoke, "I want to try this with you Luna. No more avoiding."

Luna stared up at Remus with disbelief, an expression he clearly found amusing as he smirked lightly at her. When Luna was sure he was not joshing her she couldn't help but burst out into happy laughter.

Remus laughed softly too, and then her face was being cupped in his hands and he was kissing her like he had at the stairwell. Multiple frenzied kisses were pressed to her lips and Luna was smiling through their kisses, her heart bursting with joy.

Somehow, Luna and Remus ended up lying at his couch, Luna pressed comfortably between the couch's back and Remus' chest. As soon as they had sunk down into the couch, Remus' kisses had become softer, more innocent, as if to make up for their position. A part of Luna wanted more of the feverish kisses from before when they were standing and from the stairwell, but a bigger part of Luna that wasn't quite sure about going so far yet was glad Remus had slowed down. She was happy with this too.

She felt impossibly safe nestled against Remus' chest, her cheek resting on his bent elbow and her hands playing with his shirt as he stared down at her so openly, in a way he had seemed to have restrained himself in before. Mostly he just stared at her, but he would also occasionally lower his head again and again for soft, lazy kisses that were too short in Luna's opinion. His other arm rested on her waist, the rough pads of his fingers stroking the soft skin of her bare shoulder blade. Luna shivered under his touch, and he seemed to enjoy the effect he had on her, grinning boyishly at her every time she shivered.

It was in the comfort of that couch that Remus whispered to Luna about his fears regarding their relationship. For the first time Luna did not feel as if he was telling her this out of selfishness or as a way to get himself out of this relationship, it was more like he was warning her of what they were in for if they decided to be together.

"I can think of so many reasons why we shouldn't," Remus whispered.

"I can think of so many reasons why we should," Luna whispered back.

Neither one of them was aware when the clock struck midnight.

oOo

Remus woke to the light that was Luna snoozing on his chest, her little puffs of air warm on his chest. Remus stilled, letting the memories of last night wash over him as he stared down at the girl in his arms.

 _Mine, mine, mine._

A part of Remus was still concerned about just how good an idea being with Luna was, but a bigger part of him was dancing and howling in joy just like his wolf was.

Remus craned his neck to look at his clock hanging on the wall and saw that he hadn't been sleeping very long as it was nearly one in the morning. He knew that while it was not terribly late, it was suspiciously late for Luna to be out. If she went to Grimmauld Place now, there may be a chance that not too many people had noticed her absence.

"Darling," Remus murmured, stroking her cheek to wake Luna up gently.

Remus tried not to laugh at the twitching of Luna's nose before she finally revealed her beautiful blue eyes to him. Luna seemed also momentarily confused at what she was doing here in Remus' arms, but as soon as the memories came back to her she grinned and wrapped her arms tightly around him in a hug.

Remus chuckled quietly and held her close, nuzzling his nose against her pale neck.

"You should head back, they'll be missing you."

Luna sighed, distracted by Remus' lips brushing against her skin before she finally said, "You're right."

Reluctantly the two got up and Remus handed Luna a cloak he had on hand, aware of how Luna had rushed to his flat without even bothering to protect herself from the cold.

Luna blushed as she thanked him, slipping it on carefully over her shoulders as if his cloak was not raggedy and nearly threadbare already.

Luna stood awkwardly then by the door, her small hands clutching the flaps of his cloak together over her chest, the white of her knuckles nearly visible. She was staring up at him as if she had a question at the tip of her tongue as his eyes glanced almost nervously from him to the door.

Remus felt his heart wilt as he realized that she was still nervous he wouldn't stay true to his word, that he would back out.

"I'll see you soon then? I can drop by for lunch sometime this week."

For a moment Remus feared Luna would tear up again but then she grinned and nodded, "I would like that."

Remus needed no more reason to step closer to Luna and lean down to press his lips against hers. He could hear Luna breathe sharply in through her nose, as if surprised, but he paid it no mind as he let his lips glide over hers, occasionally teasing her bottom lip with his tongue.

He pulled away while he could stop himself from coaxing Luna back to his couch, trying not to let her lovely smell tempt him to stay with his arms wrapped around her.

He murmured his goodbyes to her against his lips and then watched her slip through his door.

Remus made his way back to his bed, wanting for the warmth Luna had been giving him moments ago as they had slept, content.

oOo

 _Author's Note: So it's finally happened! After much waiting and dancing around their feelings, Remus and Luna are at the beginning of a relationship! That's not to say there will not be troubles ahead…_

 _Please review to express your thoughts, comments, questions, and concerns! Also, what is a better day to post? Friday or Saturday evenings?_


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Hello again readers! I apologize in advance for the considerable shortness of this chapter; however I promise that the next chapter will make up for it! If it's any consolation, this chapter happens to have some good amount of fluff in it._

 _Also, I came upon the sudden realization that it can be confusing for readers to constantly be switching their brains from Luna to Remus to Luna POV and I apologize for that, however, that's just how I write! I don't really have a formula for dividing up POV time amongst characters (is there a formula?) and I'm afraid I would find it rather difficult to have to be constantly thinking about how to write certain parts if I can only do it from a pre-decided POV._

 _Finally, as I am finishing writing this story (don't worry, you still have many more chapters to go!) I am in the process of beginning to write down ideas for another fanfic I might possibly write. For those of you who are interested, this fanfic is shaping up to be one with a Draco/Luna pairing (I just adore Luna obviously). And for those of you who care about such things, just from the initial brainstorming, it looks like the majority of that fanfic would be told in Draco's POV._

 _It's still quite rough and I'm still working on an outline, however let me know if that's something any of you would be interested in, would like to know a little more about, or would like to bounce ideas! I might even take some suggestions or requests some readers may want to see (Merlin knows I have a million requests for fanfics I'd like to see)._

oOo

Remus tugged nervously at his robes as he stood outside of Shell Cottage two days later.

He was more nervous than he could remember being in quite a while. You would think that having already gotten over the first step of actually kissing Luna he wouldn't be quite this restless. He'd known it before, but now there was no doubt that not only did Luna liked him, she wanted to be with him. She didn't care about what he was or what he owned or didn't own, and she didn't care what other people might think. All she cared about was that she wanted him. She wanted Remus and she wasn't going to let anyone get in her way, including Remus.

Despite all this though, Remus couldn't help but feel the small- big- sense of anxiousness in the pit of his stomach. The only explanation was that he was unsure.

Despite all that he knew, Remus was unsure what would happen to them. Remus was an older man. He knew it was easy to say you cared for someone and make promises. What was difficult was making it work.

Remus cared for Luna deeply, he knew this like he knew his own two hands. He also knew that more than likely, the future would not be easy for them, or certain.

Then the door opened.

"Remus."

And for a moment, Remus forgot to breath and all thoughts of the future and its challenges vanished from his mind.

Luna was smiling up at him like he was the only thing that existed in the world. She looked absolutely perfect in her grey wool dress and stockings. Her hair was free and there was a natural blush to her cheekbones, just waiting for his lips.

Luna grinned at him and finally Remus's brain had enough oxygen for him to respond with his own grin.

"Would you like to come in?"

"Um," Remus blushed at his inability to speak.

Luna's eyebrows furrowed in a confused but amused way.

"We can walk instead," Luna suggested.

Remus nodded quickly, "Yes, let's walk."

Luna smiled and went to grab her coat, boots, and a bag before rejoining Remus outside. Together the two made their way down to the sand as they had many times before, only now it was different.

They walked in silence for some time, and just when Remus was beginning to gather his thoughts once more, Luna spoke. "Have you been overthinking?"

Remus started and side glanced at Luna curiously. It seemed that once again he had underestimated the Ravenclaw. Remus could feel himself relaxing as he asked, "What makes you say that?"

"You seem like the type to do that," Luna smiled teasingly.

Remus smirked looking away, "You've got me all figured out then?"

"No, not completely," Luna shook her head.

Remus was unsure what to make of that and continued to stare ahead. Despite the fact that Luna knew he was an over-thinker, and as much as he knew this was a trait he knew he wanted to work on, he couldn't help it. New Year's night had been one of the best he's ever experienced. He couldn't remember the last time he had been as happy as he had been when laying on his couch with Luna in his arms in that beautiful dress.

He'd stand by his word, whatever it was he had with Luna, he was tired of avoiding it. He had feelings for Luna and she for him, and he wasn't sure he wanted to let what they could have slip by his fingers.

But he simultaneously also meant what he'd said that day in the hall at Hogwarts. Luna was too young, and too respected and loved by those around her to be tainted by the likes of him. He cared what other people would say, what they would say about him, but mostly what they would say about her.

"Do you remember that day in your office at Hogwarts?"

Remus almost reeled at how Luna had chosen to draw Remus from his thoughts. He blinked, bringing himself back to the here and now at the beach with Luna.

"What?"

"That very last day," Luna specified, her blue eyes shining up at him.

Remus did recall that day. That day he had set to work packing all his belongings from his office in the DADA classroom, Harry had not been his only visitor that day.

He remembered young, twelve-year old Luna Lovegood skipping into his office with her wand tucked behind her ear and small red flowers in her wild blonde hair.

 _Remus paused from carefully stacking his vinyl records into his trunk at the sound of Luna's entrance. He briefly thought it a tad impolite that the girl had not knocked before entering his office, but then again he had left the door open._

" _Can I help you with something Miss Lovegood?"_

 _Luna stopped skipping to stare around at Remus' office. "Are you going on a trip Professor?"_

 _Remus ignored the tightness he felt in his throat and cleared his throat, holding his hands behind his back, "No Miss Lovegood. Actually, I'm leaving Hogwarts. I'm afraid I will no longer be a professor here."_

 _Luna's eyes had widened momentarily before she got distracted by one of the many trinkets in the office. Luna lightly poked at a globe he had on his desk and Remus had half a mind to politely ask her if she was quite done when Luna spoke._

" _Is it because they've discovered you're a werewolf, sir?"_

 _Remus swore his heart stopped as he gaped at the words. Luna paid no mind to his momentary inability to speak, continuing to turn the globe casually as if she had just mentioned the weather and not his condition._

 _Had Harry and his friends told her? They seemed to understand the importance of maintaining the events of the last few nights a complete secret, despite their youth. What's more, it was unlikely they had spoken word of it to Luna as he didn't even think they and Luna ran in the same circles._

" _H-How did you-"_

" _I've known since the first full moon first semester. Professor Snape seems awfully jealous."_

 _Remus didn't think Snape was jealous so much as prejudiced and bitter._

 _While Remus was still contemplating how the younger girl could possibly know Luna seemed to lose interest with the globe and beamed up at him._

" _Well, I wish you luck sir. I must say you were a much better professor than Professor Lockhart."_

 _Before Remus could interrogate Luna further, she had skipped out of his office as quickly as she had arrived. It was almost as if she had never been there in the first place, the only evidence to her having been there at all being a small red flower on his desk that had fallen from her hair._

 _Remus picked it up, the color of the flower briefly reminding him of another girl who had once also guessed his condition. It seemed Luna had joined Lilly Evans and Hermione Granger in the club of young intelligent women who had guessed what he truly was and sincerely did not care._

Remus remembered being somewhat concerned that Luna would help spread what she knew, but had quickly dismissed that thought as ridiculous. Luna had known what he was since the beginning of term and had continued to attend and enjoy his classes, never having told anyone what he was. She was strangely very alright with the knowledge of what he was, but then he figured, if anyone was to be accepting of what he was, it would be the unique character of Luna Lovegood.

"Of course I remember that day," Remus murmured quietly, a faint smile on his lips.

Luna smiled faintly at him and stopped walking and so did Remus.

Luna stared imploringly at Remus. "I kept your secret all year second year. I never spoke a word to anyone about it, and I'm alright with not speaking about us now."

Remus swallowed, somewhat uncomfortable with the passion in the younger girl's eyes, "Luna, I don't want you to think I want to keep us a secret."

"But you do."

Remus groaned, "Luna-"

"You do and I understand why," Luna's eyes furrowed. "I'm not naïve Remus. I know there will be people who don't understand, who would try to keep us from each other, who would judge us, you especially, and that's the last thing I want."

Remus grinned, "I thought you didn't care what other people thought."

Luna smiled at him, and for a moment Remus thought she seemed much older than her age. "I don't, but I do care what you think, and you're an over-thinker. I know that if we told everyone immediately about us when we're still discovering us, it might cloud how you feel about us."

"Luna I wouldn't-"

"You wouldn't intend to, but it might happen, and I understand. I want us to try this on our own, without any other influence." Luna bit on her bottom lip, "So…if no one knew about us for a little while, I would be alright with that. I just care about being with you."

Remus hoped that Luna's hearing had not improved so much that she could hear his heart pounding.

It seemed that once again Luna's being in Ravenclaw had proved itself. Everyone knew Hermione was the smartest witch of her age, but the more he thought about it, from what Remus remembered Luna had been just as smart as Hermione and perhaps even smarter in other things outside academics.

Remus nodded at Luna, a smile tugging at his lips.

Luna grinned at him and Remus could feel his heart skipping again.

Luna pressed her lips together and then blushed adorably before breaking eye contact with him. Luna reached into her bag and pulled out a package wrapped in red and white paper, all tied up with brown twine and a silver bell.

Remus' eyes widened, "What's that?"

"Well I was a little distracted Christmas day and forgot to give you this."

"Luna you didn't have to," Remus felt his stomach sinking, "I'm afraid I haven't gotten anything for you."

Luna shrugged, still blushing prettily, "You don't have to. You can consider it a thank you gift for showing me the ins and outs of all this werewolf business."

Remus smirked and sighed, taking the package from Luna's hands and began to carefully opening it. Remus bit down his grin and pulled out the pajamas folded neatly inside.

They were lovely pajamas, Gryffindor red, and the best quality that he had ever owned. They were just pajamas, but Remus was certain Luna must have used a considerable portion of her first paycheck from Slug and Jiggers Apothecary.

"Needless to say, you probably shouldn't use these on full moons," Luna smiled.

Remus let out a bark of laughter before wrapping his arm around Luna and pulling her close, kissing those smiling lips. Laughter rumbled in Luna's throat and Remus nearly melted when she wrapped her arms around neck.

She was perfect.

And she was his.

oOo

Luna laughed at the description Remus was reading from a particularly bad muggle teen novel that had werewolves in it.

It was the lunch hour and Luna and Remus were currently in Flourish and Blotts stock room during the lunch hour. It was a small room, and it didn't help that nearly each and every space of it was occupied with stacks of books.

Luna herself was currently seated on the last step of the stairs leading into the downstairs stockroom while Remus sat across from her on a small stack of books. The space was so small that their knees were brushing against each other, but Luna didn't mind that. She was enjoying the closeness. She enjoyed the feeling of Remus' pants again her bare knees.

It had been two weeks since the day at the beach when Luna had given Remus his Christmas present, and they were some of the loveliest weeks Luna had ever had.

Granted, now that they were both working and Fleur was spending more time at home now that she was six months pregnant, Luna had limited alone time with Remus. They had taken to visiting each other at their respective work places during lunch or breaks as it appeared to be the only time they could spend together without worrying about friends catching on to the change in their relationship. Admittedly, they had only spent time at Luna's work twice due to Remus not being able to stand the terrible cabbage smell of Slug and Jiggers.

Luna still shivered slightly in pleasure when she thought of last night, when Remus had come over to dinner at Shell Cottage. Luna had jumped at the chance to walk Remus to the door when the night had come to its natural close. Luna still felt warm as she recalled how Remus had bent down to whisper to her to meet him tomorrow at the bookstore for lunch, his lips brushing intentionally against her ear.

Remus laughed and snapped the book shut.

"Oh no, why'd you stop," Luna teased, giggling.

"I'm proud to say I've always stood up for the muggles whenever wizards and witches say that their published literature is complete trash. I've read Fitzgerald, Austen, Bronte, Steinbeck, Hemmingway and countless others. This, however, this is just embarrassing."

Luna laughed, throwing her head back. It was fun seeing Remus this way, playful and light.

Luna knew she had been right. The past two weeks all those hidden moments with Remus Luna would treasure for the rest of her life. It wasn't even just because there was a thrill to having Remus kiss her behind bookshelves, a small bout of adrenaline rushing into her system at the thought that someone could accidentally see them.

It was more that for the past two weeks she had gotten to spend time with and learn Remus in a way she wouldn't have if anyone else had known about them. There was a certain freeness Remus was allowing himself when he was with her that he wasn't sure he would have had if anyone knew about them, or if they had allowed others to see them.

Their moments had been short in nature, but it had been enough to learn things about Remus she might not have known otherwise.

She knew Remus' book and music preferences, she knew how he liked his coffee, and she knew that he had a weakness for antiques. She knew that he abhorred lateness, when smart people pretended they weren't smart, and when people were overtly nosey in private business. She knew he respected honesty, hard work, and determination. She knew what his relationship had been with his parents, how much he truly loved Bill and Harry, and how dearly he missed Sirius.

The more she learned the happier Luna became that she had him in her life, that she had the privilege of getting to learn him in a way not everyone did, in a way she thought perhaps not even Harry knew.

She also knew now with great familiarity the places on his palms that were rougher than the rest of his hand. She knew the shape and size of his hands as they ran over her back and the pressure with which they gripped her hips. She knew the texture and shape of his lips and the way his tongue slid into her mouth. She knew the coldness of the tip of his nose as it brushed against her cheekbone. She thought it funny how even when his lips and cheeks were warm, the tip of his nose was almost always cold.

Remus sighed then and one glance at the clock in the room let her know that their time was nearly up.

Luna's eyes locked with Remus' who frowned regretfully at her. Then Remus perked up as he stood, unintentionally reminding her of how tall he was.

"I actually have something for you."

"Is it another turkey sandwich, because this was actually quite good," Luna called after him, stealing the last bite of Remus' unfinished sandwich.

Remus laughed from behind one of the overflowing shelves. "Not quite."

When he came back Remus grinned mischievously at her, sitting back in his spot and with his hands suspiciously behind his back.

Luna bit her bottom lip, "What is that?"

"Close your eyes," Remus smirked.

Luna grinned and then closed her eyes expectantly until she felt a solid weight placed on her lap. Luna opened her eyes to find a book on her lap.

"It's not much but I believe it's what you've been looking for," Remus said quietly.

Luna bit down her smile as she read the title of the book.

 _5,000 Plants: Smells, Tastes, and Textures by Phyllida Spore & Arsenius Jigger._

Luna giggled uncontrollably as Remus explained, "If there's anything that might possibly counteract that terrible cabbage smell, it's in there."

Luna grinned and leaned in to press her lips to Remus', enjoying the warmth radiating from his cheeks. Luna could feel her entire body relaxing as Remus kissed her back, resting his hands on her legs just above her knees. Luna let her hands cup Remus' face gently, happy that the older man no longer jumped in surprise every time she initiated a kiss.

When Luna pulled away from the kiss to breathe, she stayed near sharing breath with Remus, stroking his cheekbone. Luna's eyelids felt heavy as she let her thumb brush over the two freckles under Remus' left eye. Remus' amber eyes seemed to be melting darker as he stared at her.

Luna breathed a small laugh, completely aware of the bruise her heart was beating against her chest.

She wanted a little more.

Luna leaned in for another kiss, sliding her lips against his, feeling bold and tentatively touching her tongue to Remus' bottom lip. Remus' breath was shaky as he parted his lips to let Luna explore his mouth, the grip he had on her thighs getting marginally tighter. Luna was almost scared at the speed with which her heart was beating as she let her hands sneak to the nape of his neck, pulling him closer and playing with the ends of Remus' hair.

Luna could feel their kisses becoming quicker and heavier and then Remus bit down on Luna's bottom lip and she couldn't help the small moan that escaped her.

Or the smell that she suspected she had exuded that day on the beach that she was sure had given Remus his first hint of her feelings for him.

Remus must have smelled it too.

"We should start getting back," Remus whispered between kisses, "Lunch is almost over."

Luna smiled shakily, nodding and pulling away enough to rest her forehead against his to catch her breath.

Remus smiled too and reached up to brush her hair away from her cheek, his fingertips tickling her skin.

"Thank you for my gift," Luna whispered, her nose brushing against his.

"Anything," Remus whispered, pressing one last kiss to her lips before helping her up and holding her hand nearly all the way out, watching from the Flourish and Blotts window as Luna made her way to Slug and Jiggers.

oOo

"This is starting to feel normal," Bill commented.

Bill and Remus were on the beach at work setting up the wards to keep Luna and him contained and protected during the night. As it stood now, Remus figured they had about half an hour left before the moon rose.

Remus snorted, "Welcome to my life."

"And Luna's now," Bill pointed out.

Remus tried not to think of a shared life with Luna. Merlin knew that was not at all what Bill had meant.

"Yes, she's acclimating quite well," Remus acknowledged, thinking back to earlier when they had all been sitting around the kitchen table sharing dinner before they prepared for the night's activities.

Luna was like a tornado of blonde hair and wildflowers. She was practically dancing as she moved about the kitchen preparing dinner, giving Fleur respite and insisting the older woman remain seated. Luna had served them the most beautiful Italian dish and then proceeded to chatter basically nonstop throughout dinner.

Remus knew this hyperactivity was a result of a common werewolf symptom hours leading up to the full moon, but he still enjoyed seeing Luna so bouncy and excited. Remus himself was having difficulty keeping his body still, but Luna was on an entirely different level.

The most hyperactive part of Remus was his mind. It was very much near torture sitting across his beautiful witch in the company of loved ones he was comfortable with who didn't know Luna was his witch.

One other bothersome symptom of being a werewolf was that sex-drive tended to go up in the days leading up to the full moon, particularly when a werewolf had a mate. This was a symptom even Bill occasionally suffered from, as was evidenced from the strong smell coming from Bill and Fleur's room that Remus had caught earlier as he'd passed on his way to the bathroom. This was evidenced as well by the arousal Luna had experienced last month in the moments before they had turned.

All day Remus had been plagued with nothing but thoughts of the little Ravenclaw and was embarrassed by himself of the number of time's he'd had a cold shower that day.

So far Remus' and Luna's interactions had been fairly innocent, customary of a new relationship. They'd shared many kisses with only a few particularly heavy snogging sessions and a clear limit to the amount of wandering their hands made. This was all mostly due to Remus' own reluctance and fear that he would unintentionally push Luna for more than she was ready for.

They'd yet to talk about each other's respective romantic pasts, but considering the way Luna's enthusiastic responsiveness to a simple squeeze of her waist and a nip of her bottom lip, Remus would say that Luna's experience was sorely limited. In fact, Remus was willing to bet with almost complete certainty that Luna was a virgin, never before touched by a man.

Completely pure.

Remus had shifted uncomfortably in his seat, urging his blood to return immediately from its sudden rush southward.

He had spent the rest of the dinner trying to ignore how lovely Luna smelled and pushing away thoughts of how pretty Luna's blush was when she was short of breath and how the tendons of her lovely pale neck stretched.

As Remus and Bill finished setting up the final wards, Remus couldn't help but still think of Luna's pale skin, however his intent had strayed from lustful.

Remus had yet to bring it up, but he had not forgotten the fact that despite being a werewolf now, apart from the bite that bastard Greyback had left on her, Luna's skin was completely perfect and unmarred, a complete contrast to his own.

Remus was glad for Luna's sake that, for the most part, her skin was unblemished, but it did not answer the question of why. In Remus' experience all it took was one transformation without wolfsbane for a werewolf to self-inflict harm if he or she could not bite a human in his or her own place.

Luna had undergone three entire transformations without the wolfsbane.

Something wasn't adding up.

Before Remus could ponder more on it, he sensed Fleur and Luna's precense.

Sure enough, one glance at the cottage confirmed that Luna and Fleur were making their way down to the beach. Remus quickly looked away. In his state, even the sight of Luna's bare feet were embarrassingly enough for him to have to adjust his sweats if he remained staring for too long.

oOo

Remus was dreaming of sneaking into Honeydukes far after closing time. The sugary smell was like a drug for Remus' nose. He was surrounded by countless sweets all wrapped in colorful paper just waiting for his teeth to rip apart. It all looked so very tempting, he wasn't sure where to start.

Remus took a step forward only to regrettably discover that he had not watched where he was stepping and consequently found himself falling through the trap door leading into Honeydukes' cellar.

"Remus."

Remus started awake finding himself on one of the rather comfortable couches of Shell Cottage and staring up into another tempting sight.

"Luna," Remus breathed, focusing his eyes on Luna who was kneeling by the couch, her lovely face higher above his for once.

"Were you having a bad dream," Luna whispered, her blue eyes widening in concern. Remus was momentarily touched at how concerned she appeared over something as harmless as a bad dream.

Remus urged his body to relax back into the soft cushioning as he quietly caught his breath.

"No, it was a rather good dream actually," Remus shook his head. "I was trapped in Honeydukes."

Luna giggled quietly, "That does sound like a good dream."

Remus smiled and the two were quiet for some time. Remus was enjoying this quiet space they were sharing, the living room dark with only a few rays of moonlight peeking in through the windows. One such ray was streaked across Luna's face, illuminating her pert nose and small lips. Remus could stare at her all night.

Luna was beginning to blush, and just when Remus was thinking of teasing her for it, Luna leaped to her feet and whispered conspiratorially, "Come up to my room."

Remus had been told this combination of words a few times in his lifetime, and each time his young healthy body had wasted no time at acquiescing to such requests, aforementioned body being rewarded bountifully.

For the first time in his life however, that combination of such words produced a feeling of dread and uncertainty within Remus.

Luna for her part seemed not at all bothered in the slightest.

Luna must have noticed the look of dread that must have been on his face because her eyes suddenly twinkled mischievously as she backtracked, "Don't worry, I've only made us some food. I thought we could have it in my room."

Luna shot him a wink that did nothing to assuage Remus' nervousness before she tiptoed her way back upstairs to her room, where she and the food she had prepared sat waiting for him.

Remus spent some time contemplating why they couldn't have their food downstairs in the living room as they had last time, or the kitchen where meals were _supposed_ to take place. However, after it became clear that Luna would not be coming back down Remus got up. He folded his blankets neatly so as to attempt to slow down time but eventually had to make his way upstairs.

Luna's bedroom was the same room Remus had slept in a few times before Shell Cottage on nights he had had a little too much of the elvish wine with Fleur and Bill. Remus noted however, that none of those times had he ever entered this room to find a pretty witch sitting on the bed with two plates of breakfasts foods that she had prepared for them.

Luna smiled at him warmly, and Remus would have thought that she was the picture of innocence in her purple and blue plaid pajamas had she not used her wand to close the bedroom door behind him.

Remus could feel his chest tightening, though whether it was from excitement or nervousness he could not tell.

oOo

 _Author's Note: As always, please review comments, questions, or concerns!_


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: This would be a good time for me to remind all readers that this is an M rated fic…_

oOo

Remus watched Luna nibble carefully at her toast but then quickly averted his eyes when he found himself focusing too much on her row of pearly teeth peeking out every so often.

Everything about this damn girl was testing him.

It seemed that Remus' increasing lust for Luna was unfortunately not to dwindle after the full moon. It seemed the hours before the full moon had only sparked Remus to become hyperaware of every detail of Luna's face and body, whether it was erotic or not. Merlin help him, he thought he might be willing to attempt writing poetry about the freckle on Luna's right hand if he didn't get a hold of himself.

Remus was shocked by this combination of lust and adoration he felt for Luna Lovegood, who sat across from him Indian style, completely unawares of the emotions roaring inside of Remus.

He'd gone mental for Luna, that fact was irrefutable. Remus could count on one hand periods in his lifetime in which he had been well and truly happy. Those periods included his time with his family before he was bit by Greyback (a time which he had little memory of), of his time as a Maurader (short-lived), of his time teaching an eager group of school children (again, short-lived), of his relationship with Harry (still good thankfully), and his relationship with Tonks (brief and tragically cut short with her death).

His time with Luna was slowly starting to make him realize that he could now count his periods of pure happiness on two hands instead of just one.

Luna made him happy in a way he couldn't recall being before.

His wolf was internally roaring with laughter in amusement, but for once Remus paid it no mind.

Luna was clever and kind and patient. She had known what he was from the beginning and never treated him any differently or thought any less of him. When she was certain she cared for Remus (a thought he still occasionally found confounding) she had been unafraid to admit it to him. She had gone after what she wanted in a way Remus never thought he would be able to himself. She was considerate of him and their situation, but she was not bitter for it, least of all angry or upset.

In fact, Luna seemed to be enjoying their time together when their relationship was knowledge that only they two in the entire world shared. He saw it in the way her hand would discreetly brush his shoulder as she passed by, as her eyes twinkled at him when no one was looking, in her smile after they had shared a kiss in some quiet corner.

He was completely smitten with her.

It was different from when he had been with Tonks, though he did not mean to compare the two.

Tonks had also cared for him fiercely, and when the pink-haired woman had known of her feelings, she too had gone after what she wanted as Luna had. Tonks was beautiful, there was no doubt of that, and Remus still wondered how such a young, strong, and brave woman had ever had any interest in him, but Tonks had.

She was very different from Remus however, and different in her approach to him from Luna. Tonks was not gentle or patient, it just wasn't part of her nature. She had pushed Remus relentlessly to be with her until he'd felt he had no other choice but to be with her. Not that he was complaining. His time with Tonks had been some of the happiest of his life after all.

He couldn't help but recall how dismissive Tonks sometimes was of his condition. She didn't mean to of course. That way he saw it, he supposed Tonks would brush away his condition because she didn't want it to get in the way of them and she was afraid Remus would remember himself, feel shame, and leave her. These were understandable fears, but once Tonks had Remus he wouldn't have left her, and yet Tonks continued to reaffirm that Remus' condition in no way affected their relationship.

Tonks meant it in that she wouldn't not be with Remus for being a werewolf, but as a result she was inadvertently pushing aside something that was so completely part of Remus and who he was. Tonks could never understand that, and Luna did.

Remus suspected it was partly due to Luna now being a werewolf herself. It was something they shared, a ground on which they could both understand each other, but Remus felt deep in his gut that Luna would understand even if she hadn't been a werewolf as well.

As guilty as Remus felt thinking it, he couldn't help but sometimes find himself being happy that Luna was a werewolf, otherwise he might have never known the softness of her lips and the passion in her heart.

As Remus was contemplating his feelings for Luna, he was reminded of the questions that had ran across his mind earlier the day before as he had set up wards on the beach with Bill.

"Luna?"

"Yes," Luna encouraged as she took a bite from her toast.

"You have no scars on your body, except for the one Greyback gave you," Remus stated straight-faced.

Luna's eyes were wide in wander at the statement, seemingly unsure where Remus was going with this, "Yes?"

Remus frowned as he thought how to explain, "I've met countless werewolves at different points with lycanthropy. I've met people who have been werewolves for one year, five years, one month, and people who have been werewolves even longer than I have. The point is, each one that goes under transformation without wolfsbane and is kept away from humans will with complete guarantee bite and harm themselves for lack of opportunity to hurt others."

"What are you saying," Luna asked, though Remus could see by the way her brow furrowed that her intelligent mind was already piecing together what he was suggesting.

"You underwent three transformations all by yourself without wolfsbane, yet aside from Greyback's bite there isn't a scratch on you," Remus finished both their thoughts.

Luna was silent for time, chewing on her last bite of toast as she seemed to mull this information over in her mind.

After what felt like hours but was really only a few minutes, Luna suddenly seemed peppered up again and grabbed both their empty plates and jumping off the bed to put the plates on the dresser.

"I'd imagine it was the wolf in me making sure I didn't hurt myself," Luna said casually over her shoulder, dropping a boulder on Remus as lightly as if she had dropped a feather.

 _Clever girl._

"What," Remus gaped at the girl.

"That voice in our heads, well, the one you get when you turn into a werewolf," Luna told him, staring at him as if _he_ were the one who wasn't making sense.

Paying no mind to the fact that Luna had just suggested she'd heard other voices before the wolf's, Remus moved so his feet were now hanging off the bed, "You hear it too?"

Luna frowned, "Don't all werewolves? It's something I actually kept meaning to ask you about but it never quite came up, and it wasn't in that book you gave me or any other books I could find."

Remus mind was racing and he felt a little dizzy.

Remus' wolf was something that hadn't originated until he was in his late teens. When he'd first heard it, he thought he was going crazy. It didn't take long to realize that this other presence inside of him was his inner wolf. It seemed that being a werewolf was not a condition present only once a month.

No one had ever told Remus that there would be another entity living inside of him. No one had ever mentioned it in his studies of lycanthropy. Even during the first war when Remus had spent time with other werewolves, Remus had casually mentioned the voice to one of them. That werewolf had looked at him like he was insane.

And now here stood Luna Lovegood in front of him, not even a year old werewolf, still a pup, acting as if that voice inside her head was completely normal.

"No, not everyone hears the wolf. You're the only one I've met who has," Remus rasped.

Remus was unable to look at Luna as a thousand questions raced in his mind. Why could Luna hear the voice? Why didn't anyone else? Is it possible that the voice emerged at the time of first transformation? But that didn't make sense. Remus had already been a werewolf for years when he heard it. Remus was about the same age as Luna was when he first heard it. Was it something that came about during puberty years? But that didn't make sense either. The werewolf Remus had mentioned the voice to had been twenty-two and had been turned at the age of eleven.

He wasn't sure what it all meant.

"Remus," Luna said, and Remus' chest ached at the small twinge of worry in her tone. "You know you are normal right?"

Remus scoffed but not unkindly. "How can you know?"

Then Luna was standing right in front of him in the space between his legs and she was cupping his face in her hands so that she would look up at him. Luna's eyes were huge and gentle as she smiled warmly, "Because everyone is normal, in their own special way."

Remus couldn't help it as a small smile began to stretch across his face. All it took was one touch from Luna to calm him down.

"Will you lie down with me?"

And all it took was once sentence to get his heart beating erratically.

Remus let himself be pulled down to lie on Luna Lovegood's bed.

The two lay on their sides, not touching, just laying close to each other on the center of the bed as they stared at each other under the moon's light. Remus was embarrassed to admit that his heart was beating a lot quicker than Luna's was. The young girl stared serenely at him, apparently at complete ease lying on a bed with him, a raggedy old werewolf working at a bookstore and who owned little else but a crummy one room flat.

"What do you mean exactly, by what you said earlier," Remus asked, still not able to let it go. "Your wolf stopped you from hurting yourself?"

Luna nodded slowly, "Yeah, she takes care of me."

Remus frowned, finding that hard to believe. "Explain."

Luna chewed on her bottom lip before responding, "Have you heard of fairy godmothers?"

Remus nodded, remembering the term vaguely from his muggle mother. He briefly wondered how a pureblood witch knew the term but decided that was a subject for another time as there were more pressing things to be discussed at the moment.

"Well," Luna continued on. "It's kinds of like that, like the voice I hear is a sort of fairy godmother, watching out for me, only from inside me. But it's different, because the voice is the wolf, and I am the wolf, and the wolf is me. It's like the voice, the wolf, is another part of me I had inside, like a possibility, that didn't happen until Greyback bit me. It's part of me. So, since I'm myself, of course I wouldn't want to hurt myself, and the wolf is me, so she would never want me to hurt me either, so she doesn't."

Remus' head was spinning as he tried to work through Luna's explanation. "So you're saying man and the voice are the same entity."

Luna nodded.

Remus couldn't help the small bitterness in his tone, "So do you think I want to hurt myself? Because I can't count the number of times the wolf has hurt me."

Luna quickly pressed her hand to Remus' cheek, calming him as she explained gently but firmly, "It's just how I feel. I came about that explanation on my own. I could be wrong, but it's the way I see it."

Remus was at a loss for what to say. Hardly any of what Luna had said made any sense. Suddenly he felt as if Luna was the one who had been a werewolf for thirty two years and he was the pup.

Remus opened his mouth to ask more questions, perhaps argue, but apparently it seemed Luna had grown tired of the subject as she removed her hand from him and asked, "Are you still in love with Tonks?"

Remus' eyes widened and all previous thoughts on werewolves were immediately forgotten as he processed the question Luna had asked. People rarely brought Tonks anymore, at least in his presence, having seemed to understand that he had moved on and was well, which he was. Still, that did not change the fact that he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel when someone did bring her up, especially if that someone was someone he was currently in a relationship with.

"W-What," Remus asked, wanting to make sure he had heard her right.

"Are you still in love with Tonks?"

Remus was at a loss. Luna did not look at all jealous or hurt, simply curious as she stared at him, seemingly having asked the question with nothing but the utmost sincerity. Still, Remus had no idea where this was coming from and felt the urge to assure Luna that he had eyes only for her.

"What? Luna, I've told you I'm mad for you. I know I've done a poor job of it, but I swear you're the only one-"

Luna closed her eyes and shook her head quickly, "No, you don't understand." Luna took a deep breath and for a moment Remus feared she would cry but then she opened tear-free eyes and explained, "I know that Tonks was a big part of your life and that you loved her very much, and you were very sad when she died. I know that was all ages before we even reconnected this summer and has nothing to do with me. I'm not at all jealous and I would have no right to anyways, and I know that you care for me. I know that truly and deeply, but I must know…"

And here Luna's breath was shaky with nervousness in a way Remus had never seen before.

"Is a part of you still in love with Tonks?"

Remus' heart beat heavily against his chest as he listened to Luna's little speech. Her expression was serene, but he was no fool. He could see a small glimmer of worry in her eyes.

She deserved to know the absolute truth.

Remus searched deep inside himself before he finally spoke, "Luna, Tonks was part of one of the few happy times in my entire life. I loved her very much, and a part of me wasn't sure I could go on when she died. But I did. A part of me will always remain with Tonks, she was the first woman I ever loved and the first woman to ever love me, but I am no longer in love with her. I haven't been for a very long time.

My heart has belonged to you for longer than I care to admit."

Here, a tear did fall from Luna's shinning eyes but Remus had no chance to see any others fall as Luna closed her eyes to press her lips against his.

Remus forgot his earlier hesitance at being on a bed with Luna and wrapped his arms firmly around her waist, pulling her across the bed until her body was pressed flushed against his.

"I just had to know," Luna smiled, pulling away just a little to smile at Remus, her lovely eyes no longer glimmering with tears.

Remus could feel his heart melting as he brushed his thumb across her cheek, "Please don't ever doubt it."

Luna grinned and leaned in for another kiss, this one longer and sweeter.

Soon, Luna's kiss was become warmer and warmer. She had cupped Remus' face in her hands again, as if she were trying to pull him closer as if he weren't already close enough. Remus own grip on her waist was becoming tighter as he allowed his other hand to tangle itself in Luna's long mane of hair. This was quickly becoming one of the dangerous kisses Remus had allowed in the past for only a few moments before forcing himself to pause.

When Remus' cock twitched after Luna's tongue swiped at his bottom lip, he knew it was time to perhaps call it a night.

Luna pulled away and he thought she must have been thinking the same thing when she said calmly, albeit a bit breathlessly, "I'm a virgin Remus."

Remus's heart stopped and he bit back the groan fighting to escape his throat. So he had been right. Luna had never been with a man and if the universe continued to smile kindly upon him, he may be the only one. Remus tried not to think too much on how much that thought excited him even more.

"I thought so," Remus responded, cursing himself for the huskiness in his voice.

Luna bit on her bottom lip charmingly, as if she was nervous when she went on, "I don't turn seventeen until February 13th. I want to wait until then to lose my virginity."

Remus hadn't been originally sure if Luna's admission of her virginity had been as a warning in case they took the next step that very night or if she had told him as a warning that they needed to slow down that very instant. Apparently she did want to slow down, but she had also practically given him a date to receive her virginity in one fell sloop. Remus' sharp mind did the math quickly and when he realized Luna's birthday was only two weeks away he bit back his eager groan again.

"I can do that," Remus told her dutifully, leaning down to peck her nose.

Remus was just beginning to disentangle himself from Luna when she spoke again. This time Luna was biting her lip in a way that was much more mischievous and teasing as she said, "That doesn't mean we can't do other things in the meantime though."

Remus froze as he stared at Luna for a moment. As her words sunk in however, he decided to wipe that teasing smile off her face and growled playfully before practically crashing his lips back onto hers, wasting no time in slipping his tongue past those pearly teeth he admired so much. Luna moaned, making his cock twitch again and returned his kisses feverishly. Remus let his hands roam over the younger girl's back for a few moments before he settled them on her hips again and pulled her close. Only this time Remus did it so that her heat pressed right against his half-hard cock.

That delicious pressure along with Luna's moan was enough to make Remus finally allow himself to groan.

Remus forced himself to slow his kisses, still very aware of the fact that Luna just admitted she was a virgin to him. He didn't want to scare her off and slowed his kisses to grind very lightly against Luna.

Now he can hear Luna's heart beating just as quickly as his, perhaps more.

Daringly, Remus stopped his hips from moving and let his hand travel up to cup a small, perfect breast in his hand. Remus was pleased with how despite Luna's gasp of surprise she had arched her back into him, pressing her breast more firmly against his hand. He squeezed her breast gently, kneading it in a way knew Luna would like, kissing her languidly.

Remus wanted to taste more of Luna and began tracing his lips from her mouth to her jaw and neck, delicately pressing open mouthed kisses against her skin. Remus drew his hand away from Luna's breast to which she mewled in protest, but she didn't need to do so for long as Remus' same hand slipped carefully under her pajama top. Remus reveled in the warmth of her skin and traveled up and up until his fingers were plucking carefully at Luna's nipple.

Luna's hands gripped locks of his hair at the base of his neck, and Remus silently cast a nonverbal silencing spell on the room. Remus toyed with both of her breasts for some time before retreating again, absorbing the heat from her skin. His hand traveled down and so did his lips.

Remus latched his mouth onto her right nipple, using his tongue and saliva to wet the thin fabric of her shirt. Remus doubted Luna had even noticed his hand had sneaked into the front of her pants. Luna cried out when Remus bit down gently on her clothed nipple and he sucked gently after to soothe it while his fingers drew warm circles over her underwear just above where her clit lay hidden.

Luna had become aware of where his hand had trailed off to if her stillness was anything to judge by. Remus let her breasts rest and resumed his earlier work of doting on her collarbone, and when Luna's breaths indicated just how much she was enjoying his administrations Remus let his pointer finger draw circles lower right between her thighs where here other lips were.

Remus groaned when he felt how soaked her underwear was and ground his cock against her thigh when Luna moaned beautifully. He could smell her and it was intoxicating.

It took a moment for Remus to remember himself and moved up to focus on Luna's face.

"Is this alright," Remus asked. He was enjoying himself thoroughly and wanted nothing more than to be inside Luna, even if it was just his fingers, but he would stop the moment she so much as felt a twinge of being uncomfortable.

Luna's face was flushed and she was short of breath as she stared back up at him, but she smiled and nodded her consent.

Remus pressed a gentle bite on Luna's chest right above where her skin started to swell into her breast and then pulled her underwear aside.

Remus moaned and continued to kiss Luna's neck as he slowly slid his finger from the bottom of her lips all the way up to her little bundle of nerves. Luna was clutching his hair almost painfully and cried out again, and Remus was glad he had put up a silencing spell.

Remus stroked and massaged Luna's cunt, rubbing circles and catching her wetness with his fingers to rub it all on her clit. Remus let himself finally dip his finger into her leaking pussy, his cock painfully hard as Luna gasped his name. Remus growled against her neck as he dipped his finger in an out, in wonder at how tightly Luna's cunt held his one finger. When Luna's legs began to widen, Remus added a second finger and Luna's hands released Remus' hair to slam onto the bed at her sides, her hands gripping the bed sheets until her hands turned white.

Remus loved how vocal Luna was as he pumped his pointer and middle finger inside of her. He considered adding a third but didn't want to overdo it. Luna was sensitive enough.

"R-Remus, I-I think-I can't," Luna was nearly incomprehensible as she shook her head, her eyes screwed shut.

Remus tugged on Luna's earlobe with his teeth, "I know."

Remus continued to pump his fingers into Luna only now he began using his thumb to flick Luna's clit.

"Oh," Luna squealed.

Remus pulled away from her neck to stare down at Luna's face. She had the prettiest pink flush across her cheeks and the bridge of his nose. She was beautiful, and he had every intention of seeing how her face changed as she received her first orgasm from a man, from him.

Remus flicked her clit a few times more before purposely grounding his thumb against it and watched in awe as Luna's body shot up as she arched her back and her lips formed a perfect 'o' shape as she moaned loud and long during her orgasm.

"Beautiful," Remus murmured as he slowed his fingers down, helping her ride out her last waves and trying hard not to imagine how the tightness of her cunt would feel wrapped around his cock instead of his fingers.

He watched as Luna came down from her thigh, extricating his fingers from her and licking away her delicious cum from them as he watched her skin cool down her normal, how her chest stopped heaving, and how her breathe came slower.

Remus rested his cheek on his hand, propped up on his elbow until Luna was finally calm enough to open her eyes and blink dazedly at the ceiling. "Why was that a hundred times better when it's your fingers doing it?"

Remus chuckled and leaned in to press his lips to Luna's in an adoring kiss. Luna's hands cupped his face for a few moments but her limbs were still too overworked and they softly fell back to her sides.

Remus pulled away and smiled down at his lovely witch who smiled back, serene and completely content.

"I should be going now," Remus said.

Luna's eyes widened, "Wait what about you?"

Luna glanced down at the bulge in his pants but Remus was already standing up and adjusting his pants. Remus leaned in to peck the corner of her lips as he smiled at her, "Don't worry about me. Tonight was about you. There'll be other opportunities."

"Won't you at least spend the night," Luna sighed, brushing hair from Remus' eyes.

Remus shook his head, "We've both just undergone a full moon and you've just had an orgasm. We're both going to be sleeping for the better part of the day and it wouldn't do for Bill or Fleur to come in and check on you only to find me on your bed."

Luna giggled and rolled her eyes but nodded, "You're right."

"See you soon?"

Luna nodded and Remus grinned feeling twenty years younger as he leaned in for one last kiss and then sneaking out of Shell Cottage. Remus apparated home and had a good wank, no longer having to imagine Luna writhing and moaning beneath him, because he already had the memory in his head.

oOo

When Luna woke up hours later, she was somewhat disoriented, though she couldn't imagine why as she was laying in the same bed that she had for the past six months.

Then it all came rushing back to her.

Luna smiled and stayed in bed a few moments more, basking in the glow of her first orgasm, though judging by the sun setting outside, it had occurred many hours ago.

Luna's hands moved beneath the covers down to rest above her belly, remembering the liquid heat that had pooled there the night before as Remus had teased her orgasm out of her. It had been unlike anything Luna had ever experienced before and she could only imagine what it would be like when she gave all of herself away to Remus.

Luna sighed and got up, grabbing a change of clothes and her toiletries before taking a long and well-deserved rinse before sitting in for a hot bath.

When Luna's fingers were sufficiently pruned, the Ravenclaw got dressed and hurried downstairs to make herself some food.

As she ate the front door open bringing in a heavily cloaked Fleur and Bill.

"You're up," Bill smiled cheerfully.

"How are you feeling," Fleur asked as Bill helped her slip out of her cloak, both completely unaware of what had happened in their home last night.

"Wonderful," Luna grinned honestly.

"How about some wine for those who can partake then eh," Bill waggled his eyebrows playfully and Luna laughed as Fleur rolled her eyes and joined her at the dinner table.

"Any word from Remus? He left sometime last night but didn't leave a note like he usually does," Fleur mentioned as Bill served Luna and himself some wine and apple cider for Fleur.

Luna was quick to say, "Oh he sent an owl, he's alright. He was just very tired that's all."

"Bastard, I'll have to have a word with that young man," Bill joked.

Luna and Fleur laughed just as the familiar hoot of an owl was heard. Bill went to the window and brightened, "That's Ginny's owl."

Bill opened the window for the beautiful barn owl and began to reach for the note attached the bird's leg but was stopped when it nipped at his fingers.

"Ouch! What's wrong," Bill whined but the owl only hooted and hopped over to Luna.

Luna smiled and eagerly unwrapped the note from the owl's leg as Fleur laughed, "You're not the only one on Ginny's mailing list, Bill."

"Looks like I'll have to have a word with my baby sister as well," Bill grumbled, not seriously, as he fed the owl some treats.

"What news does Ginny bring," Fleur asked curiously.

Luna smiled as she skimmed over the note.

"Ginny's just asking me out to lunch that's all," Luna smiled as she went to the counter searching for a pen to write out her reply.

"Now I'm really upset," Bill groaned dramatically as Luna scribbled out a yes to Ginny and reattaching the note to Ginny's owl's leg before sending it on its way.

Luna laughed as she watched Fleur swipe playfully at her husband.

Luna was happy. She was doing well in school, soon to graduate this year, she had a job and was making enough to save up for her own place by the end of the school year, her friends were happy, Fleur was pregnant, she had Remus at her side, even if no one knew it yet, and she was going to be having lunch with her best friend the next day.

The New Year was shaping up to be one of the best Luna had had yet.

oOo

Luna smiled happily at the sight of Ginny snorting pumpkin juice out of her nose. Luna wasn't all that sure what she had said that was all that amusing, but she was happy that she could make her best friend laugh so much anyway.

Luna and Ginny were currently seated on one of the outdoor tables of Madam Puddifoots. Usually Ginny, being a bit of a celebrity now since the second Wizarding War, didn't like to be seated at outdoor tables in direct view of the public, but Hogspeade was currently pretty quiet. The tea shop was usually inhabited be young teen witches and wizards on dates, however seeing as it was a Tuesday, all the couples were currently at class in Hogwarts Castle. Luna felt a little sneaky being out and about at Hogsmeade when in another life she might have still been up at Hogwarts with all the other students.

Luna was happy to be spending time with her friends, and thought with some regret about the fact that they hadn't spent as much time together recently. It was understandable in the summer that despite having literally lived together, the mood at The Burrow had not exactly cultivated healthy hanging-out time.

Both were still going to school attending once a week to take exams, and would go out with Neville, Harry, and Hermione to Hogsmeade. However, it wasn't quite the same as going out just the two of them.

Luna resolved right then that she would make a better effort to spend more time with Ginny. Ginny was one of her dearest friend and they had a friendship that Luna hoped would last the rest of her life. Maybe one day Ginny would even be her children's godmother.

Luna's thoughts strayed momentarily to an amber-eyed man in her life.

"So there's something I need to tell you," Ginny said then, recapturing Luna's attention.

"What is it," Luna asked curiously.

Luna couldn't help but think Ginny looked positively lovely that day. Her red hair seemed shinier, her cheeks flushed, and her skin was glowing. Luna wondered if Ginny had finally taken her advice on using a moly herb scrub to exfoliate.

"So, Harry and I have been together for quite some time," Ginny started, flushing even more. "I've been in love with him for as long as I could remember."

Luna felt her heart warm at hearing Ginny speak about Harry. It made her happy to see her friend happy and in love.

"And well," Ginny went on, "There have been some interesting new developments."

Luna frowned as Ginny retreated her hands under the table out of Luna's sight. The frown was wiped completely off Luna's face however when Ginny brought her hand back onto the table to reveal her hands, completely unchanged except her left hand.

Luna's lips stretched into a smile as noted the beautiful glittering engagement ring Ginny now sported on her hand.

"You're getting married," Luna said, tears welling up in her eyes as she reached to hold her friend's hand between her own.

Ginny nodded happily, her own eyes welling up with tears. "We're thinking at the end of May, after we've graduated."

Luna's heart fluttered, "Just four more months."

"I know it's fast, but I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life. Harry loves me and I love him and we've gone through so much, we just want to start our lives together already. I mean, what better time is there really!" Ginny laughed, wiping a tear that slipped out of her vibrant green eyes. "We'll have just graduated, enough time will have passed since everything's that happened, Harry will begin his training at the Auror Academy, and I'll start training with the Holyhead Harpies too. Harry's got more than enough money to maintain us until we start making real money, which shouldn't take more than a year."

Luna shook her head, "I think it's great, honestly. I'm so happy for you Ginny."

Ginny grinned and Luna was reminded of just how pretty her friend was.

"Who else have you told," Luna asked curiously.

"I've only told you, Harry told Ron and Hermione last night," Ginny smiled.

Luna wasn't sure how much her heart could take, "You told me before anyone else?"

"Of course Luna, you're my best friend," Ginny said squeezing her hand.

"When are you telling everyone else?"

"Well we're having dinner at The Burrow again this Friday and everyone is invited," Ginny explained. "We're going to announce it then."

"I can't wait," Luna assured her.

"There's more," Ginny said giddily, almost jumping out of her seat. Ginny took a deep breath, "I want you to be my maid of honor."

Luna's mind was dizzy and she thought she might faint. "I-I-What? Of course! Yes, of course! I'd be honored to be your maid of honor!"

Ginny laughed, "Great! That's wonderful."

The two jumped out of their seats to hug before returning to their seats. Ginny was eager to begin wedding planning.

oOo

 _Author's Note: So I'm completely new to writing fanfics and therefore completely new to writing smut, even light smut, or even romance for that matter. Let me know if you all enjoyed this chapter and if you have any words of advice as I would greatly appreciate it!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: Thank you all so very much for the follows, favorites, and reviews on the last chapter, even despite all the spelling errors I made and only noticed after I had posted the chapter (yikes!). It was the most alerts I have gotten on a single chapter ever and even though it wasn't a lot it truly made my day to wake up the next morning and see them. Special shout out to HuffPride for always reviewing diligently after every chapter!_

Also, I apologize in advanced for the shortness of this chapter! I promise next chapter will make up for it.

oOo

"Did you hear about Ginny and Harry," Luna asked as she worked on a flower arrangement in the Slug and Jiggers Apothecary back room. Luna was technically supposed to be making arrangements based around red roses in preparation for Valentines coming up, however, Luna was taking her lunch break to work on possibilities that would be much more suitable for a May wedding.

"Harry told me earlier this morning."

Remus was sitting on a nearby stool watching Luna as he ate the delicious broth Luna had surprised him with. He'd already spent too much of their lunch hour trying to get Luna to eat, but it seemed the younger girl was much too busy thinking about white dresses, vows, and most importantly flower arrangements.

"Isn't it wonderful," Luna beamed, arranging with renewed gusto.

Remus chuckled as he stared at his witch. He had to admit he was pretty happy for Harry and Ginny as well, Harry especially. His sensible side had immediately worried that perhaps the couple were too young, but he also knew that Harry deserved nothing but peace and happiness, and he'd found that in Ginny. He wished them only the best.

"Harry has asked me stand with him at the altar to hand him Ginny's ring," Remus said.

"Really? We'll both be in the wedding then! Ginny's asked me to be her maid of honor," Luna grinned.

Remus smiled, thinking how nice Luna would look in a pale summery dress, "That's wonderful."

"I'm so happy for them. Do you think they'll have a big wedding like Bill and Fleur's or something smaller?"

"Hard to say. I think Harry would prefer a small wedding, but he'd be willing to have a big one considering how large the Weasley clan is."

"I can't wait until tonight when they tell everyone." Luna was practically jumping up and down in her excitement, one would think all the fuss was for her own wedding and not her friend.

"I'm interested to learn who else already knows, they're so excited. I'll wager that when they make the announcement at least half of the people in that room will have already known," Remus snorted.

Luna laughed, "Yes, well, the sentiment's still nice. There's almost nothing lovelier than a wedding."

Remus damned his over reactive imagination as he wondered what Luna might look like in a white dress and quickly stepped back from that line of thinking and set his soup down. While lunch with Luna was always a treat, he'd spent far too much time sitting off to the side watching from afar.

Remus stepped close until he was right behind Luna and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face into her eucalyptus smelling hair. Luna stilled for a moment in surprise before melting into his embrace, her hands resting gently on his arms.

"You're going to make beautiful arrangements for the wedding," Remus murmured assuringly into her hair.

"You think so?"

"I know so. I mean, if you could get rid of the cabbage smell then you can do anything," Remus teased.

Luna laughed and turned around in his arms so that she could lock her gaze with him. Remus thought that he must've looked like an idiot the way he was smiling at her, but for once he didn't care.

He felt like he was standing in another one of those many perfect moments with Luna, those in-between spaces where it was just them too and they were in each other's arms and they were happy and it was perfect.

Luna leaned forward to rest her cheek against his chest, right above his heart, and he was happy to just hold her. He would have held her forever if he could.

oOo

Luna looked around happily at the inhabitants of The Burrow, a glass of elvish wine in her hand.

Christmas dinner had been a lovely night, as lovely as it could have been in Luna's humble opinion. Tonight felt like proof that the atmosphere at The Burrow was truly improving and not just putting up a façade in an attempt to show a good face for the Christmas holiday.

When Luna looked over to Molly Weasley hovering over Fleur, Luna thought that she looked genuinely happy, happier than Luna had seen her in a very long time, aside from the night Bill and Fleur announced their impending parenthood. Arthur Weasley looked happier too, clearly a weight had been lifted off his tired shoulders.

Luna could only imagine how much happier Molly and the rest of the Weasley's were about to get once Ginny and Harry made their announcement.

Luna was currently seated on The Burrow's kitchen counter where earlier Percy's girlfriend had been teaching her how to mix drinks. Luna swung her legs as she watched from her cozy spot, far enough that she was mostly out of sight but near enough that she had her eyes on nearly everyone in the house. Not to mention she had easy access to pie on her spot.

As Luna's eyes searched the room she caught sight of Remus who was deep in conversation with Bill and Charlie.

If memory served, Bill had always been remembered by most as the most handsome of all the Weasley men, but put him next to Remus and Luna only had eyes for the ex-professor. Luna was still amazed at how her heart could still beat so quickly against her chest at the sight of the werewolf wizard, even after all they had done together behind closed doors.

Luna thought it would be a very a long time before she stopped thinking about what Remus' hand had done to her the night after the full moon.

It was as if Remus must have sensed her looking at him and suddenly turned to look Luna right in the eyes. Luna swallowed and wondered how it was that she had ever been able to look at her ex-professor without being struck by how handsome he was.

Remus winked playfully at Luna, no doubt noticing the heavy blush growing on her cheeks, or having read her thoughts. One or the other.

Luna bit down on her smile, reminding herself that she should probably remember that she was in a heavily populated house where anyone might catch their little exchange.

Luna forced her gaze away and looked over to where Ginny was standing with Hermione, the two girls chattering excitedly and loudly but much too quickly for those around them to even attempt to understand what they were saying. Luna smiled every time Ginny motioned for Hermione to hush and looked around suspiciously, as if checking to see if anyone had overheard them. Luna smiled, not having to be near to imagine what they were talking about.

Luna frowned as she looked around the room, noticing not for the first time that Harry was nowhere to be seen. Everyone that would likely be invited to the wedding and was close to Ginny or Harry was at the Burrow: her, Remus, Hermione, the entire Weasley clan, even Neville Longbottom was around somewhere.

Just as Luna was beginning to wonder how Ginny was going to announce her engagement without Harry, the spectacled boy came in through The Burrow's front door.

Luna jumped to her feet and ran over to the older boy, wrapping her arms around his neck, so excited she was.

"Harry!"

Luna practically threw herself into the arms of The Boy Who Lived in a flurry of white-blonde hair and yellow raincoat.

Harry nearly stumbled and fell backwards at the unexpected weight now stuck to him but quickly recovered and laughed, wrapping his arms around the smaller girl.

"I'm so very, very happy for you Harry Potter," Luna whispered into Harry's ear.

She could feel Harry's arms wrap tighter around her, "Thank you Luna, for everything."

"You're more than welcome," Luna smiled, finally releasing Harry. "Where were you anyway? Everyone's already here."

"I was with the Dursley's actually," Harry admitted, his cheeks tinged pink.

Luna blinked, "Your aunt and uncle you mean?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, well you see-"

Harry looked around before clutching Luna's arm and pulling her aside before continuing, "What with the engagement and thinking about who we were going to tell and it occurred to me that I hadn't checked in on the Dursley's since they moved away nearly two years ago."

"That's a long time," Luna commented, understanding now why Harry's cheeks had been pink with what seemed embarrassment.

Harry looked away, "I know, but they're well, and they know now that I am too."

Luna took pity on how ashamed Harry looked and smiled soothingly at Harry, "Well that's what matters."

Harry smiled thankfully and together the two joined the others in The Burrow. Harry went off to join Ginny, and Luna went over to one of the many comfortable couches, selecting the one that was near the middle where Ron was currently seated. It had a good view and Luna wanted to be in a good spot for when Ginny and Harry made their announcement, which she had a feeling was going to be happening very soon. Plus, the two glasses she'd had were beginning to make Luna's head a little tipsy and she needed to sit down again.

"Drink Luna," Ron asked, holding up a bottle of more elvish wine.

Luna smiled happily at Ron, glad that the red-head was no longer as mean as he used to be. "Sure Ron," Luna smiled and held her cup out for Ron to fill.

Luna had just taken her first sip when she heard Harry clear his throat. Luna looked up to where Harry and Ginny were standing in front of the fireplace, a prime spot to get everyone's attention.

It seemed some were still busy in their conversations, but Ginny quickly took care of that by announcing in a very authoritative voice, "Everybody listen, we have something to tell you."

That got everyone to finally pause their conversations and what they were doing to focus solely on the young couple, most with confused expressions.

Harry cleared his throat again, this time out of nervousness of having everyone's eyes on him, but he bravely went on, "As you know Ginny and I both have plans for after we graduate. I'll be starting Auror training and Ginny will be joining the Holyhead Harpies."

Harry paused here for a moment to let Bill, Charlie, and George hoot and cheer, "Yes! That's our little sister!"

"Shut it you three," Ginny scolded, but the blush on her cheeks said she was pleased her brothers were so proud of her.

"Anyway," Harry laughed and continued on. "We've gone through a lot in the past few years together, Ginny and I. We're going to be starting new chapters this summer, and we want to do those together as well."

Harry smiled at Ginny who smiled back, and for a moment it was as if they were in their own little world before Ginny turned her attention back to the rest of them, the biggest smile on her face that Luna had seen yet.

"We're engaged," Ginny announced.

The room erupted with cheers.

Luna clapped happily from her seat and watched as many got up to congratulate the young couple. Luna watched Remus hug Harry and kiss Ginny's cheek before joining Luna on the couch where Ron had just been sitting before he'd gotten up to congratulate his sister and best friend.

"It's great isn't it," Remus commented, tilting his chin to motion to Molly Weasley who was kissing Ginny's face before cupping Harry's face and welcoming him officially into the family, happy tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It's wonderful," Luna sighed happily, swigging down another sip of her wine.

Luna turned to look at Remus who stared down at her with happy amber eyes. He smiled in that way Luna loved that made his eyes crinkle.

Luna's belly felt warm as she smiled back at him, aware of how close Remus was sitting. He maintained a respectable distance, considering their present company, but Luna could still feel the heat emanating from Remus' body.

Luna couldn't help herself and rested her cheek against Remus' shoulder, sighing contentedly with her eyes closed. Remus stiffened for a moment but then relaxed, inadvertently warming Luna's heart as he even patted Luna's knee in a way that could pass as friendly if one did not notice the way his hand lingered momentarily.

Luna felt incredibly content leaning against Remus, safe and warm and surrounded by all their happy friends. She had a half a mind to fall asleep there, convincing herself that no one would think of her sleeping against Remus side other than that the wine had made her particularly sleepy, which was mostly true.

Remus seemed to not want to risk it thought and cleared his throat before gently nudged Luna's head with her own.

Luna sighed again but sat up on her own, deciding to set her wine glass down before getting up to join the others in waiting their turn to congratulate the happy couple.

oOo

Remus fought back his smile as Luna leaned her slight body against his, her blonde hair ticking his jaw. She was barely of any weight against him, he could almost forget that she was there if it were not for her body heat and the very fact that this unassuming young woman's nearness was enough to make his heart beat erratically.

Luna was a little tipsy, he could tell by the way her cheeks were flushed. He found it both amusing and charming.

He heard Luna sigh and glanced down at her, the corner of his lips quirking up into a slight smile at the sight of the beautiful girl.

Remus looked away and his eyes met briefly with that of Bill's across the room.

Bill was in the middle of pulling away from an embrace from his baby sister, a smile still frozen on his face.

There was more though.

Remus could see the way Bill's eyes caught sight of Luna leaning against Remus, simple curiosity as he searched out his friends. Then Remus watched the confusion set in his eyes after the unfamiliarity of seeing Luna so close to Remus settled in, never before having seen her practically on top of him. Finally, Remus saw the suspicion he had been dreading on Bill's features.

Bill directed his gaze to Remus' and Remus could see the half-formed question lurking there.

Remus cleared his throat and gently nudged Luna who sighed but did not protest to his relief.

Remus watched as Luna got up to congratulate Ginny and Harry, and spent the remainder of the night avoiding both Bill and limiting the amount of time he spent by Luna's side.

Later that evening, Remus was in conversation with Charlie Weasley when he noticed that he had not seen Luna for some time. Remus searched the room before he spotted her at the edge of the room grabbing hold of her coat before slipping out the door.

Remus frowned, wondering where Luna might be going that would require her to have her coat.

Remus checked to make sure Bill was not looking his way before he too grabbed his coat and followed after the fairy-like girl, apparently not able to resist being near her.

oOo

Luna wrapped her coat tighter around her form as she made her trek up the hill, considering just how great of an idea this was. Minutes ago she had been so warm, nearly sweating from all the bodies in the room in addition to all the wine she had drunk. She had actually considered going out without her coat when the idea to go outside had come to her, and now she was wishing she had an extra coat. What's more, this particular hill could be trying on even a regular cool, spring day. It could be brutal on a cold, snow-covered day, especially if one had not trekked that hill in quite some time.

Despite it all, Luna finally made it to the top of the hill, her chest burning and her eyes freezing.

Later Luna would wonder why it hadn't occurred to her to simply apparate to her desired destination, but for the moment all she could focus on was the black, cylindrical home ahead.

There was a certain kind of quiet surrounding the house that only came about when no one had slept in or inhabited a house in quite some time.

Luna's eyes stung as she crossed her arms across her chest and stared at the house she once lived in with her father, many moons ago. Luna had not even set eyes on it in since a few days after the war when Arthur Weasley came with her so that she could get some of her things before moving into The Burrow.

This was the house she had been raised in.

"Are you alright?"

Luna was startled for a moment. She had been so overcome with emotion that she had not even realized someone had followed her up the hill.

Luna sniffed discreetly and turned to look over at Remus who was staring at her worriedly, his forehead creased in a way Luna wanted to wipe at lovingly with her fingers.

Luna nodded quietly and reached her hand out towards Remus, which he obligingly took before standing beside her.

Luna wasted no time in leaning against Remus' side, happy they were without curious eyes for the moment.

Remus wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and Luna sighed at the warmth he provided.

"Was this your home," Remus asked quietly.

Luna nodded, "Yes. I lived here."

Remus was quiet for a moment, as if unsure he should ask before he spoke, "Did you want me to go in with you?"

Luna smiled silently before shaking her head, "No, I don't want to go in. Not today. One day, but not today."

Luna could feel Remus' chin brush the top of her head as he nodded.

"I'm going to sell the rights to the Quibbler."

Luna could feel Remus' eyes train on her. "Luna, are you sure?"

Luna nodded, "I'm sure. Daddy would have wanted someone who truly had a passion for journalism to keep writing for The Quibbler. I love The Quibbler, with all my heart, but my heart isn't in journalism, that was always my father. If I don't write for it, it will just die, so I'm going to sell it. It might take some time to find the right person to sell it to, but I'll find them."

Luna tilted her head up to receive Remus in a kiss. His nose was cold against her cheek, but Luna didn't mind.

When Luna pulled away her breath mingled with Remus' as she asked quietly, "Will you spend the night with me?"

Remus' eyes widened for a moment in a way Luna still found incredibly charming of the older man. Luna took pity and smiled, clarifying, "Just to sleep. I just don't want to sleep alone tonight."

Remus' eyes softened in understanding and nodded at her.

"Let's make our way," Remus told her, reaching down to hold Luna's hand in his as they made their way back down the hill on the trek towards The Burrow.

As they walked, Luna thought about how lovely it might have been to have walked down this hill in a light dress on a spring day, the grass and flowers tickling her legs and the sun warming her face as Remus walked by her side, her hand in his.

When The Burrow came into sight Remus slowly slipped his hands out of Luna's. She could still feel his fingers brushing reassuringly against her hand though, and that at least comforted Luna.

At The Burrow, Remus went in ahead of her but Luna paused, feeling a pair of eyes on her in the dark.

Luna looked to her right and sure enough saw Harry and Ginny hiding in the shadows, no doubt finding it worth leaving the warm comfort of inside The Burrow in exchange for a few moments in the cold for some privacy.

Luna could hear Ginny giggle faintly as she leaned in close to Harry, her back to Luna and her hands on Harry's chest, her engagement ring glistening like another star amongst the snow. Harry had his hands on his fiancé's waist but his gaze was focused on the entrance to The Burrow where Remus had just stepped through. Then his gaze turned to Luna questioningly.

Luna swallowed, wondering if Harry had thought anything of how closely she and Remus had been, and whether or not he had noticed how far out they had been alone together before returning to The Burrow.

Luna thought it odd that Remus had not noticed Harry and Ginny's presence, but then blamed it on the alcohol he had also consumed that night.

Luna decided she would pay it no more worry and broke her gaze before following after Remus inside.

As she watched Remus making the rounds saying goodbye to everyone, she decided it was not worth telling Remus about what was more than likely nothing.

Luna waited ten minutes after Remus had left before she went around saying goodbye as well explaining that she was tired.

Fleur and Bill who both still wanted to stay a little longer offered to accompany her back, but Luna assured them that she would be fine.

She did not mention she would have someone at home waiting for her.

oOo

Remus felt a bit awkward during the few minutes he stood by himself in Shell Cottage's living room while he waited for Luna. This was his first time at Shell Cottage completely by himself and found himself grateful that Bill and Fleur had long ago adjusted their home's protective wards to grant him access without setting off any alarms.

Remus walked around the living room, smiling at the small traces of evidence indicating that a Lovegood had taken up residence at Shell Cottage. Some soil on the coffee table, some lose plants on a counter, a photograph of Fleur and Luna cooking hanging above the fireplace. And of course the traces of a light strawberry jam scent lingering in the air.

The front door opened then and Remus whirled around, as if he had just been caught doing something bad when Luna walked in.

Luna smiled brightly when she saw him, and for a moment Remus let himself wonder what it would be like to have Luna come home to him like this every day.

He quickly brushed the thought away to open his arms to Luna when she slipped her coat off and slipped into his arms.

He accepted Luna's kiss against his jaw and then her hand as she led him upstairs to her room.

Once in her room Remus was again unsure of what to do with himself as he stood in Luna's bedroom. He watched as Luna went to her bed table and rummaged around in the drawer. When she found the candle she was looking for she paused to look up at Remus still standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets.

Luna smiled at him as if he were being silly. "You can get comfortable if you like."

Remus looked around as if unsure where to start before shrugging out of his coat and setting it on the dresser. He sat on the bed and toed off his shoes as Luna lit the candle with her wand and set it aside. As Luna began searching in her dresser drawers Remus leaned back onto Luna's many pillows and watched as Luna pulled out night clothes.

Luna smiled at Remus then, and he returned the smile.

When Luna began slipping out of her stockings Remus turned his face away to grant her some privacy, as it seemed Luna was unconcerned with such matters.

Remus focused on his shoes on the floor as he listened to the rustle of fabric…and then, almost without his permission he turned to watch Luna.

She had just pulled up her dress to stand only in her in her underwear, black, interestingly. A stark contrast to her usual color scheme.

He had only a flash of what lay beneath her dress when she had it over her head, her skin warm and golden from the candlelight before her long, wispy hair floated down to cover nearly everything down to her waist.

Luna turned to look at Remus, and for a moment he thought she might suddenly yell at him for staring, but he couldn't help but hold her gaze anyway. Luna only smiled and slipped on her night shirt before making her way back to her bed with Remus.

Remus could feel his chest tighten as Luna crawled onto the bed, her eyes on his lips before she kissed him. Remus breathed in her chocolate smell and kissed her back slowly, not trusting himself to touch her quite yet.

When Luna pulled away she grinned, as if she knew why Remus was holding back. She ran her thumb lightly over Remus' eyebrow and kissed his cheek before settling down to lay on her side, her back facing Remus until he was ready.

When he was, Remus got comfortable and reached out to wrap his arm around Luna's waist, pulling her closer until her back was flush against his chest. Luna leaned back into him and wrapped her arms around his, sighing when Remus leaned in to breath in the scent of her hair and nuzzle her neck with his nose.

Remus listened to Luna's breaths, hearing them get slower and slower until she was asleep, in complete trust of him.

As Remus drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but think about how absolutely in love he was with this woman wrapped in his arms.

oOo


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: This chapter is the longest one yet! Might you guess why?... Mind the M rating!_

 _Enjoy._

oOo

Luna opened her eyes and lay still for a few more moments, enjoying the way the weak morning light infiltrated her room. The air was cool, leftover January chill hanging on to this morning of February 13th, the day Luna was born seventeen years ago.

Luna let her body wake up completely before she got up and made her way to the bathroom, preparing a warm bath for herself infused with rose water. She had become addicted to baths ever since Remus had suggested them on their first full moon together. Though thoughts of Remus warmed Luna more than a bath ever could.

Luna's hand trailed down, her fingers tickling just above the place between her thighs as she thought about how her day was going to end that night.

Luna eventually came out of the bath and wrapped a towel around herself to go back to her room and select her clothes for the day.

Luna reached under her bed to take out a carefully wrapped package she had recently acquired on a shopping trip with Ginny. Ginny had been wanting to go shopping early for some particular undergarments in preparation for her wedding night. While Ginny had tried things on in the dressing room, a very pretty piece had caught Luna's eye while she waited for the redhead to try things on. Luna had made a spontaneous decision and had discreetly purchased and slipped into her bag.

It wasn't lingerie really, just a particularly pretty set of underwear and bra. The fabric was black sheer with large roses printed on them in the colors pink, yellow, and blue. They were nothing exceptionally fancy, but they were lovely and delicate to Luna and she slipped them on with great care before selecting a long-sleeved dress from her closet. It was a deep midnight blue dress with large silver stars printed on them and Luna found a pair of silver closed-toe shoes to match. The dress' collar was high and made of a lace material, so Luna opted for a black choker instead of a long dangly necklace as she might have otherwise. Luna then pulled up the top half of her magically-dried hair and secured it with star pins, letting a few strands of her wispy blonde hair to fall loose, framing her face.

Finally Luna was ready and came downstairs to where Fleur was slicing fruit for breakfast. When Fleur noticed Luna she immediately stopped what she was doing and yelled happily, pulling Luna into an embrace.

"Happy Birthday ma chere," Fleur cheered, pressing a kiss to the younger blonde's cheek.

Luna giggled and wrapped her arms around the other blonde, her arms having to stretch much farther out than she had to even a month ago. At just seven months, Fleur's belly looked ready to pop at any moment and Luna couldn't imagine it possibly getting any bigger. It was staggering to think sometimes that Fleur was in the process of nurturing and creating an actual human being inside of her.

"Is this all for me," Luna asked looking down at a large fruit plate on the table, each slice of fruit having been carefully arranged to depict the night sky as best as fruit possibly could. Luna could only imagine how long it had taken to cut all those mangos and pineapples into star shapes.

"Of course, you're the woman of the day," Fleur winked, sitting down to join Luna at the table.

"Will you please, please let me help you with the preparations," Luna asked again for what felt like the hundredth time.

Fleur shook her head stubbornly, "I've already told you. You're not allowed to do any work on your birthday."

"But Fleur, you really shouldn't be doing _any_ work for another three months," Luna pointed out.

Fleur waved her hand, unconcerned with Luna's worries, "Believe me, I still have plenty of energy in me to move around. Besides, Bill is leaving work early to come and help so I won't be all alone."

Luna groaned, having forgotten about that tiny detail. "I don't see why that was necessary either."

Fleur pointed her finger at Luna, lecturing playfully, "Now Luna, might I remind you that Bill and I have already compromised with hosting a small birthday lunch instead of throwing a big party tonight like we wanted to."

Luna rolled her eyes laughing, popping a bit of strawberry into her mouth. It was true. When Fleur and Bill had first started talking about her birthday, they had wanted to throw a huge party that night in her honor. It had taken Luna ages to convince them that she truly only wanted a small thing with a few people. The only way she had convinced them was by claiming that she wished to have something outside and that if they were to have a huge party at night, it would be too cold outside for everyone to enjoy the event comfortably. So Bill and Fleur had grudgingly relented.

"Anyways," Luna sighed, deciding to change the subject. "Any word from the healer yet?"

Fleur smiled, truly glowing as she looked down at her belly, her hand running over it lovingly, "No not yet, but Bill and I have been talking about it, and we think we might like to just wait until the baby is born to know the sex."

Luna smiled, "I think that's a lovely idea."

Fleur grinned and the two sat enjoying their breakfast as they waited for Bill to arrive.

oOo

Remus stared at the small gathering of witches and wizards around a pale blue wooden table outside Shell Cottage. It was small and simple, but there were little indicators of this being a birthday gathering. There were long sparklers that had been put deep into the stand in a large circle around the designated party area. Someone had charmed a blue ribbon to spell out 'Happy Birthday Luna' and float in circles around the table. On the table was an assortment of thick sandwiches, cookies, butterbeer, pumpkin juice, and of course Luna's favorite chocolate pudding.

And Luna standing in the middle of it all, laughing as a rosy-cheeked Ginny placed a golden headband on her head that spelled out 'Happy Birthday.' Remus clutched the package in his left hand a little tighter at the sight of how lovely Luna looked in that nighttime dress.

"Remus," Bill greeted, having noticed the older werewolf and drawing near to clasp him in a friendly hug.

"Bill," Remus greeted, patting his younger friend's back in return. Bill stood beside Remus, joining him in watching the party where no one had yet to notice the new arrival.

"Seventeen," Bill commented as they watched, "Insane how much they've all grown isn't it?"

Remus smirked wryly as he observed the other guests, noticing it was composed only of Luna's friends: Ginny, Harry, Neville, Hermione, and Ron. Fleur sat amongst them as well, nursing a cup of pumpkin juice as she stroked her belly.

"Quite," Remus agreed.

"A great year to be a witch or wizard. I remember when I turned seventeen," Bill sighed, lost in memories. He soon shook himself out of it and clasped his hand on Remus' shoulder, "Do _you_ even remember when you were seventeen?"

He had said it jokingly and it wasn't unlike other jokes the two would tease each other with in the past, but Remus could only smirk wryly in return as it was starkly clear to him that despite turning a year older today, Luna was still the youngest one in the entire group present there that day, and Remus in stark contrast was the oldest.

He felt his stomach coil unpleasantly but had not a moment more to dwell on his unpleasant feelings when he was finally noticed by the others.

"Professor," Hermione greeted happily, waving at him and drawing the others' attention to him.

Remus' lips quipped into a smile and he approached, Bill close at his side. Luna came forward, grinning at him happily.

"Happy birthday Luna," Remus greeted the blonde, his eyes softening slightly at her and then holding out his wrapped gift to her.

"You didn't have to Remus, thank you," Luna said, wrapping her arms around his waist in hearty appreciation. Remus patted her back lightly and was glad Luna had the good sense not to linger too much, pulling away to lead him and Bill back to the table amongst the others.

"Alright Luna, no more excuses. Everyone's here, so can you please opened your gifts now," Ginny cut in loudly.

Remus held back his frown as he noted again that he, Bill, and Fleur were the only older adults in the party, the fact stubbornly refusing to dwell unforgotten.

Luna giggled lightly at her friend but as everyone else started to cheer their agreement Luna relented and used her wand to levitate her many gifts from her friends towards her.

It was clear to Remus just how loved Luna was by everyone who knew her as she opened her many gifts.

Luna received an assortment of gifts, including a hand-knit sweater with an L stitched on it from Molly, a muggle trinket from Arthur that everyone had fun guessing its purpose until Hermione and Harry laughed explaining it was wooden muggle puzzle called a Rubik's cube. Remus noted with some admiration how Arthur must have hand-painted all the cubes himself. Luna also received a rare water plant from Neville and a beautifully wrapped package of Honeydukes chocolate from Ron. Hermione had gotten her a biography on Rowena Ravenclaw, and an interesting pair of blue sneakers with white wings at the ankles from Harry.

From Fleur Luna received a new gardening apron, clearly of the utmost quality, and from Bill a set of shiny new gardening tools. From Ginny, Luna received a picture of both Luna and Ginny from their Hogwarts days. It was snowing in the picture and the two girls were laughing, Luna smiling at whoever had taken their picture and Ginny clutching the skinnier girl's shoulder for support as she clutched her stomach in uncontrollable laughter. Remus noted how Ginny had painted the words 'friends' over and over again in gold paint all around the frame holding the picture.

Remus felt himself shift awkwardly on his feet when Luna came to his gift last, suddenly unsure how he felt about Luna opening his gift in front of so many eyes.

"Ooh, I wonder what it could be," Ginny said, standing on her tip-toes in curiosity.

Luna smiled mischievously at him before turning her attention to unwrapping his gift. Remus was just about to embarrass himself letting her know that she could open it later if she wished but it was too late.

Luna opened the package to reveal a small wooden box, star symbols painted on the wood in golden paint. When Luna opened it a blue light shot out of it and shaped into a corporeal form, much like a patronus. However, instead of an animal it revealed a beautiful night sky, a large full moon hanging in the middle.

The other gasped and smiled in wonder at the curios magic, Remus' cheeks flushing in embarrassment all the while.

"Remind me to invite you to _my_ birthday Remus," Ginny joked teasingly.

Luna tuned her brilliant smile on Remus, her eyes sparkling as she voiced, "I love it." Luna then wrapped an arm around him and kissed his scruffy cheek quickly before returning her attention back to her gift.

Remus tried not to panic, unprepared from the display of affection from Luna so publicly, trying to remind himself that she had done the exact same thing for everyone after opening their gifts. Still, the way Bill's eyes widened just a fraction was enough to indicate the redhead had not expected Luna to display quite the same type of thanks and affection to the older man in the company.

Remus ignored the look, pretending he hadn't noticed, and focused on doing his best to enjoy himself amongst the others without being unnecessarily uncomfortable or awkward.

oOo

Luna laughed at her friends as they all joined Hermione in doing cartwheels, apparently a common activity for young muggle girls in grade school. Now everyone was busy trying to learn how to imitate the steps without falling over ungracefully onto the soft sand by the shore. Luna laughed at the scene of bookish Hermione Granger trying to teach the others how to do cartwheels, thinking about how the beach had an amazing power to make people wild and fun.

Luna turned to observe Remus who was sitting alone amongst the tall sea grass nearby, Bill having accompanied a tired Fleur back up to the cottage not long ago.

Luna took a break from her cartwheels and made her way up to Remus, plopping down beside him to catch her breath.

"You're a natural you know," Remus commented teasingly, motioning to the others with his chin.

"Thank you," Luna giggled.

The two watched out at the others stumbling over their legs and arms, too drunk on butterbeer to be embarrassed of how silly and childish they were acting.

"Your gift is lovely," Luna said warmly, turning to look at Remus.

"There's more to it actually," Remus said mysteriously, peeking at her from the corner of his eyes.

Luna admired the way the light wind was playing with his sandy hair. Her heart clenched at how handsome he was.

Luna bit her lip and asked, "Maybe you can show me tonight…at your place?"

Remus turned sharply to look at Luna, no doubt remembering her words weeks ago about what she wanted to happen between them once she turned seventeen. The way Remus' jaw clenched she was certain Remus knew exactly what Luna was insinuating. Luna did her best not to blush.

"Alright," Remus murmured quietly, his eyes glancing to her lips before quickly meeting her gaze again, a faint blush on his cheeks as if he were hoping that Luna had not noticed where his eyes had strayed.

Luna smiled and nodded, her hand brushing his knee quickly as she got up to join the others once more.

Once the sun had set everyone began to say their goodbyes and give their last birthday wishes as one-by-one they made their way to their own respective homes, including Remus.

Bill and Luna cleaned up after everyone and made their way back inside. Together alongside Fleur they laughed and talked over a glass of elvish wine before Luna excused herself to her room, explaining that she was very tired and ready for bed.

Bill and Fleur thought nothing of it.

Upstairs in her room Luna freshened up, grabbed her gift from Remus and then sneaked out her window.

oOo

Remus looked at himself in his bathroom mirror as he splashed water on himself.

He was more nervous than he could remember being in a long time, which was ridiculous because logically he knew this was not the first time he had done this. He was no Sirius by any means, but he was certainly experienced and confident enough in his own ability amongst the bed sheets.

 _But it is_ her _first time._

Remus splashed water on himself once more, groaning slightly at the reminder.

He caught a faint smell of eucalyptus then and froze. Sure enough, a few moments later there was a knock on his door and Remus straightened his stance before drying his face and making his way to open the door for Luna, the blonde still dressed in her birthday dress, sans birthday crown.

"Remus," Luna breathed and Remus couldn't help but lean down to press his lips to her, satisfying the itch he'd had all afternoon during her birthday celebration. Luna sighed into his kiss and before they could offer the entire hall a show, Remus pulled away and invited her in.

Luna looked around his flat as he closed the door, Remus glad that he'd had the sense to clean and tidy up a little before she'd arrived.

"Have you brought the box," Remus asked, desperate to be rid of the silence and for any distraction to soothe his nerves.

Luna nodded and showed it to him, opening it.

"It's a pretty bit of magic," Luna praised, her smile gentle.

Remus fought back his blush and smiled, "There's more."

Remus pulled out his wand and whispered, " _Luna luceat_."

Luna gasped as another light similar to the first came out from the box, only instead of a moon it depicted a sandy beach and two wolves, one white and one brown, howling at the moon.

"Beautiful," Luna breathed, her gaze meeting Remus', the light from his magic illuminating her blue eyes. Remus flushed, unsure if Luna meant his gift or him.

Luna closed the enchanted box then and set it on his fireplace, never breaking her gaze from his. Remus could feel the heat in his veins as he stared at Luna, and he knew she must have recognized it in his eyes by the way her breath trembled.

Remus made it his mission to steal her breath completely when he leaned down, pressing his lips to slide against hers, sighing when he felt her slender hands reach up to slide up his neck and into his grey-streaked hair. Remus parted his lips invitingly as he let his hands grip the slight curve of her waist firmly. Remus was pleased when Luna took the invitation and gently slid her tongue into his mouth.

Remus noted how Luna's head lowered slightly and he realized she had slipped off her shoes skillfully before stepping away from him. Remus had been confused, unsure if she meant to carry on or had changed her mind.

Any doubt he might have had was quickly expelled from his mind when Luna reached for the ends of her dress and pulled it over her head, letting it slip slowly from her hands to the floor. Luna Lovegood stood before him dressed in nothing more than a very flattering pair of undergarments, her milky skin on display just for him.

Remus breathed in slowly, completely entranced with her slight form, not being able to control how his eyes raked over her greedily.

Remus reached out slowly with a shaking hand, letting his fingers skim over the skin on her side where there was still her scar from Greyback. Luna shivered under his touch and Remus could catch a whiff of her arousal. Remus bit back his groan, the fact that Luna could get so aroused with only the barest of touches from him going straight to his groin.

Remus captured her lips in his again, his hands stroking the expanse of her back as Luna rested her hands on his chest. Eventually Remus slid his hand lower to gently cup her bum, teasing a sigh from Luna.

Encouraged by the noise Remus daringly lifted Luna in his arms, pleased with how Luna instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Luna gasped when she felt his hardness press against her center and Remus bit her bottom lip gently as he carried her over to his bed, sheets freshly washed.

Remus ground himself once between Luna's thighs before settling her down to sit on the edge of his bed, cradling the back of her head to lay her back down onto the mattress.

Remus peppered kisses all along the column of Luna's neck, nipping here and there as he pleased, his hands roaming languidly along the taught muscle of Luna's stomach. Luna mirrored Remus' movements along his back and scalp. Each time Remus' hand wandered up it went higher and higher until Luna was squirming beneath him, and Remus was sure he knew exactly where Luna wanted his hands to be.

Remus nibbled on Luna's bottom lip as he finally treated Luna and cupped both her small breasts, massaging gently and pressing slightly more pressure with his fingers every time they grazed her hardening nipples. Remus leaned down to kiss the skin just above the edge of her bra, one of his hands trailing down to pull her wet underwear down her deliciously long legs.

Remus pulled one cup of her bra down to reveal a dusty pink nipple which he promptly closed his lips over in the same instant he dipped his pointer finger inside of Luna, not wasting time in teasing as he had before.

Luna cried out beautifully and clutched his bed sheets as he moved his finger slowly inside of her a few moments before he added his middle finger, delighting in the squishing noises her wetness made as he swirled his tongue expertly around the bud of her nipple. Luna was practically gasping for breath as he began to scissor his fingers inside of her, not too wide to be uncomfortable quite yet, but enough to have her writhing even more beneath him.

Remus finally retracted his hand and pulled his shirt over his head quickly before lowering down to place a final kiss upon Luna's breast and then trailing down as he gripped her sides. Luna's hands flew to Remus' hair, as if wanting to pull Remus back up to her breast, but once Remus wrapped his hands around her slim thighs, on his knees at the floor, and his lips began tracing where the top edge of her underwear had once been, Luna stilled as she realized what was about to happen.

Remus smirked as he kisses along Luna's inner thigh, his cock twitching at the thought of what he was about to do to her. In Remus' experience during his Hogwarts days with the handful of witches he had learned about sex with, he'd discovered that most young girls were far too shy and inexperienced with sex to even allow him to have his gaze so near their most intimate parts, despite letting him slip inside them. Remus wanted Luna's first time to be a good experience however, and he wanted to ensure that at least her first orgasm of the night to be completely free of the pain he knew she would feel when he penetrated her later.

From their limited experience together, Luna seemed considerably not too shy about sex. She had stripped right in front of him minutes ago after all, but then again, she was still very young.

Remus paused his kisses to look directly at the juncture where Luna's thighs met, his cock hardening almost impossibly more at the beautiful sight. Remus nearly groaned when to his great pleasure Luna actually widened her legs slightly for him.

Oh yes, he would make this very nice for her indeed.

Remus neared and breathed hotly on Luna's slit, noting how Luna shivered beneath his breath before he placed the first gentle kiss. Remus kissed Luna on her most intimate place, noting the way her lips became more swollen and he couldn't help himself anymore, wanting her full taste. Remus ran his tongue along her slit, lapping at the wetness, Luna's legs unconsciously widening even more in her pleasure as she moaned breathlessly.

Remus stiffened his tongue to slip inside her, in and out of her as his fingers had earlier, eventually adding his aforementioned finger, his other hand trailing up her skin to squeeze her breast. Luna moaned, one hand clutching the one over her breast and the other digging into his hair.

Luna was writhing almost erratically above him and he knew she was close. She just needed a little more to go over the edge and let go. Remus slipped his finger out and ran his tongue once more from the bottom of her slit to the top to wrap his lips around the tiny bud of her clit and sucked generously, groaning.

It was too much for Luna and she came, crying out and gripping him tighter than before, a delicious flow of her cum leaking out of her. Remus let his hands stroke her sides comfortably as he licked her clean, listening as Luna had come down enough to calm her breathing.

Remus stood, his hand wiping at his mouth slowly as he stared down at Luna, her eyes somewhat glazed over as she stared up at him from underneath her eyelashes. Remus had half a mind to ask Luna if she wanted to stop now. As much as it might pain him, he wanted only to make Luna happy, and if she'd had enough for one night he would not hesitate in respecting that decision.

It seemed Luna had other plans however as she slowly reached behind her to unclasp her bra and slip the garment off. Remus' breath caught as he stared down at the vision before him. He'd caught flashes of Luna in her nude form on full moons, but they were only for an instant. Months ago, he would have never imagined that he would be staring down at the sight of Luna Lovegood sprawled naked on his rumpled sheets, practically begging with her eyes for him to have his way with her.

Remus groaned and leaned down again to kiss Luna, letting her taste her own cum on his tongue as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her higher on the bed so that her legs were no longer hanging off the edge. Luna felt so soft beneath him and he held her close as he kissed her, grinding his groin against hers, gently but with more than enough force for her to know how much he wanted her.

Remus nearly chocked in surprise when one of Luna's hands, previously tickling his naked sides snaked down to cup his hardness in her small hand, squeezing curiously. Remus couldn't bite back his moan as he ground his cock into her hand, his teeth biting down on her jaw.

"I want you inside of me Remus," Luna whispered breathlessly into his ear and Remus very nearly lost it.

Together the two worked to unbutton his pants and push them down, his boxers along with them. In moments Remus was completely naked with Luna, trying to control himself as he patiently let Luna run her hands along his naked back, exploring him. She ran her hands slowly over his bum as he had to her before, squeezing uncertainly. Remus groaned and kissed her neck encouragingly.

Luna pulled away, her blue eyes meeting his amber ones. Remus fought to control his breath as Luna's gaze slowly traveled down to where his cock stood to attention, not being able to help his lips quipping slightly at how her eyes widened.

"Are you sure," Remus asked, praying to all the gods and deities he knew to not make Luna change her mind now.

Luna's eyes returned to his, a blush gracing her pale cheeks as she nodded, a smile on her lips.

Remus nodded as well, his breath shaky as he bent down to kiss Luna once more before reaching down to align his himself at her entrance, still wet and slick from before. He listened to Luna hold her breath as he finally slid the tip of himself into her heat, sliding out then back in deeper. Remus moved slowly, slipping into Luna further and further each time until he reached the barrier that proved Luna's inexperience.

Remus breathed in shakily, knowing there was no way around it and pulled his hips back and then pushing inside with more strength than he had before, enough to feel the barrier break around him and he was fully inside her. Luna whimpered and Remus stared into Luna's pained face regretfully, his thumb brushing her temple comfortingly.

"Breath Luna," Remus reminded her, urging Luna to open his eyes.

Finally Luna breathed in a shaky breath and opened her eyes to meet Remus'. Remus did his best to not let show the near torture he was in, remaining completely still with his cock wrapped tightly inside Luna's nearly unbearable heat. Part of him wanted nothing more than to pound into her until he burst, but he knew he had to go slow for Luna's sake.

Finally Luna nodded and Remus began to move, one hand stroking comforting circles into her hip and the other cupping her face. He could tell the first couple of pumps were still tinged with pain for Luna and he tried his best to kiss it away as he moved.

He did his best to move slowly, and it eventually paid off as he watched Luna's face smooth out into the beginnings of pleasure. Remus watched fascinating, moving his hips with a little more speed experimentally as he moved above her, Luna's lips parting as she began to struggle for breath, her hands coming up to dig her fingers into his back. Remus groaned and kissed her, pushing into her with more force, to the hilt every time.

Soon Luna was moaning beneath him, writhing, her movements reaffirming how tight she was around Remus. He reveled in the sound of her wetness, a sound he had always enjoyed despite it being one some women were embarrassed by. Remus nearly howled when Luna began to meet his thrusts with her own, his hips moving with more confidence and his breath ragged as he rested his forehead against Luna's temple. Remus moved his hand on her hip to grip one of her thighs and push at it gently to stretch Luna further, the movement enough for him to begin hitting the spot inside Luna that had her arching her back and moaning louder than she ever had before.

When Luna started screaming his name he lost it and growled into her neck, hitting that secret spot repeatedly until she started to tighten around him in what could only mean one thing. Luna gasped and Remus quickly lifted his head, cupping her face as she stared at the ceiling to scream as she finally came. Remus moaned as her walls squeezed him enough to force his own orgasm, Remus' movements spasming above her as he continued to pump in and out of Luna, riding out both their orgasms as Luna tightened around him and he spilled thick, hot streams of cum deep into her.

Remus watched as Luna struggled for breath, feeling his own shake as he trembled somewhat above her, aware of the sheen of sweat on both their bodies. Remus stroked Luna's face until finally she rested her back onto the mattress again, her eyes half-closed as her chest no longer heaved, her own hands cupping his face as she stared into his eyes.

Remus laid lazy kisses every few moments onto her lips, Luna too tired to kiss back. She could only work on calming her breath as she wiped his sweaty bangs out of his eyes and off his forehead.

It was impossibly warm in the room and yet Remus pulled her only closer, not minding how sweaty they both were. Luna closed her eyes, sighing happily as Remus nuzzled his nose against her, her hands coming up to cup his face.

"I love you."

Remus froze at the words Luna had just uttered quietly, like a secret in the night, his half-hard cock, still deep inside her twitched at her words.

Remus' heart swelled and he thought that perhaps he had never been as happy as he was in that moment.

"I love you," Remus whispered back, melting inside at how Luna's face lit up, albeit as tired as her body was.

Remus slipped out from inside her, both of them groaning at the sensation, their nerves still incredibly sensitive.

Remus pulled her close, resting his chin atop her head and closing his eyes tight. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was probably holding her far too tight for it to be comfortable for her, but nonetheless Luna sighed happily and relaxed her body as she began to drift in his arms. Remus kept his eyes tight as he stroked her bare arms, wishing that they could stay naked on his bed forever, no one in the world but him and the woman he loved.

oOo

When Luna woke, she was still in Remus' embrace, but his hold was much looser than it had been as she had drifted into sleep the night before.

The sun was only just beginning to dawn from what Luna could tell of the morning light filtering in the room. It cast pale shadows on Remus' face as he slept on, his face more smooth and relaxed than she thought she had ever seen.

Luna did a quick assessment of how her body felt, noting the places that were sore that had never been so. As thoughts of what had transpired last night came to the forefront of her mind, Luna wished she could dance in happiness. She felt like she was soaring even as she lay in the comfort of Remus' arm.

She remember last night how he had moved inside her, his much taller form curved over her as he stroked her face and gripped her hip, his beautiful amber eyes staring into her own.

She remembered how shocked he had looked when she confessed her feelings to him, as if he could hardly believe she would ever feel that way for him.

It was a night she was likely never to forget.

Luna sighed happily and quickly learned that Remus was quite a light sleeper as his nose immediately scrunched at her sigh. Luna watched fascinated as Remus' slowly blinked sleep away, his eyes meeting hers as he breathed in deeply through his nose.

"Morning darling," Remus murmured, his face husky with sleep and attractive in a way that made Luna shiver, even though her body was still much too sore and sleepy to do much more than stare at this man she loved.

"Morning," Luna whispered back.

Remus smiled at her and stroked her hair, leaning forward slowly to place a kiss on the tip of her nose.

Luna smiled sleepily and sighed, thinking it was much too early to even consider getting up and out of this man's arms. Still, she also knew that in a couple of hours Fleur would be awake and be wondering where she was once she discovered that Luna had not slept in her own bed last night.

Remus nuzzled her cheek and spoke low into her ear, "Let's shower and then I'll make you a quick breakfast."

Luna bit her lip to contain her smile, the thought of sharing a shower with a man seeming both exciting and risqué.

"Alright," Luna smiled.

Remus grinned mischievously at her and got up, completely comfortable in his naked form now after what they had done together last night. Luna stared at him a moment, taking in his entire form in the morning light before returning his grin and taking the hand he offered to help her up.

Luna winced a little as she got up, an expression that did not escape Remus' attention. He frowned, deciding, "A hot shower."

Luna trailed after Remus to the bathroom, her hand secured in his as Remus turned on the water and the two stood out of the shower waiting for the water to get warm.

Remus stroked Luna's cheek with his thumb as they waited, his eyes seemingly incapable of breaking contact with her, his gaze causing waves of warmth to penetrate Luna all without him having to even do much more than hold her hand.

When the water was warm enough Remus stepped backward into the shower, pulling Luna after him. Remus grabbed some shampoo and squirted some into both their hands before he began massaging the liquid in his hand into Luna's long hair. Luna smiled at the gesture and returned it, reaching high up to also massage the shampoo into Remus' scalp. Next came the soap which Remus handed to Luna first.

Luna felt her heart flutter a little with nervousness as she held the soap in her hand before beginning to lather Remus' chest with it, then his arms, and his stomach. Luna began to bend to get lower but then winced when her body protested.

Remus stopped her, assuring her he could finish the rest himself. Remus quickly took care of the rest of his body before he began to do the same to Luna.

Luna's face flushed at how much her body was responding to Remus' touch. His hands were very large and warm as they rubbed over every inch of her body to spread the soap spuds.

Luna's breath trembled, unsure if Remus had any intention of causing this effect on her body, but something about the way his eyes twinkled when he glanced at her told her he did. When he pressed a kiss to her shoulder she was sure he was teasing her.

When Remus' hands began lathering her breasts with soap she moaned, partly out of attraction but also because of how sensitive they still were.

Luna damned her inexperience as she moaned regretfully, "Remus, I don't know if I can-"

"I know," Remus' voice rumbled against her skin, his hands leaving her breasts to settle on her hips. He began kissing his way between her breasts as he murmured, "You're too sore for actual sex, but this at least…"

Remus' words trailed off as he sunk down to his knees and Luna realized what he was going to do, the memory of last night at the forefront of her mind. Luna could feel herself get impossibly wet, unconsciously spreading her legs a little wider as Remus kissed her belly, his hands stroking her thighs.

Soon Remus' face was between her legs and Luna was bracing her hands against the shower's walls to remain standing as Remus' warm tongue slid against her slit, eating every last drop of her wetness gathering there.

Luna's breath trembled as Remus sucked on one of her lips gently before releasing it with a little plop. His tongue was inside her then, his nose occasionally brushing her clit.

When Remus replaced his tongue with his long middle finger Luna moaned, her hips beginning to move with his hand. When Remus sucked on Luna's clit it was all over for her. He lathered his tongue over it, gave it three gentle sucks and she was done, cumming all over his hand and face and arching her back as she moaned through her release, nearly collapsing if Remus hadn't clutched her waist to hold her up.

Luna caught her breath, enjoying the way Remus still dived back in to lick away every drop of her cum as she settled down before kissing her hip and coming back up to kiss her lightly on the lips.

Luna sighed, leaning back against the wall as Remus finished up washing her.

Together the two dried off outside the shower, got dressed, and settled into Remus' small kitchen.

Luna sat on one of the two kitchen chairs Remus owned as he moved about the kitchen preparing eggs and toast for the both of them.

It was a simple breakfast, but it was not lost on Luna how she had made the same breakfasts for Remus twice on mornings after the full moon.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Remus winked at Luna. Luna blushed happily and picked up the fork Remus had set for her.

Together they ate their breakfast and then Remus held her and whispered in her ear that he loved her before Luna apparated back to Shell Cottage.

oOo

Remus' smile weakened after Luna had left.

It had already felt official for Remus since the moment he and Luna had talked on the beach those few days after the New Year and Luna had insisted she was fine with keeping knowledge of their relationship strictly between them.

Now however, now that he had bedded her, Remus suspected their secret would not remain so for very much longer.

Surprisingly, he felt more alright with that fact than he would have originally thought.

But there was one more thing he had left to do.

Remus grabbed his coat and apparated away, appearing in a small but beautiful graveyard that he had become all too familiar with over the past couple of years.

Remus inhaled a shaky breath, a little more nervous than he cared to admit, and made his way amongst the tombs of graves until he came to the one he was looking for.

 _Nymphadora Tonks._

Remus stared down at the modest tombstone, his heart pounding heavily as he took a deep breath.

"This will be the last time Dora," Remus murmured quietly, "Last goodbye."

Remus proceeded to murmur quietly to the tomb, not dissimilar to how he had done in the early months after Dora death when he would come here to speak to her, though it had been some time since he had done that with unfailing consistency. The last time Remus had been here had been a few weeks after the final battle, when Remus came to tell her that her death had not been in vain. He told her all about those who had died but the hope that was now beginning to set in. He had told her of his own relief that it was finally all over.

Now Remus told her of a young blonde woman he knew who had captured his heart and his hopes for the future. He told Dora that he would always care for her, but it was time to say goodbye now.

Remus was just beginning to think it was now a good time to leave when he caught scent of a vaguely familiar smell, one he had not smelled for some time.

"Remus."

Remus felt his stomach sink as he turned to look at no one other than Andromeda Tonks, a bushel of flowers in her hands, come to visit her only daughter's grave.

"Andy," Remus choked, guilt setting in and spreading like wildfire.

Andromeda smiled warmly at Remus in a way he hardly thought he deserved and came forward to hold Remus in a hug.

Remus hugged her back awkwardly, trying not to give himself away as Andromeda spoke, clearly holding back tears, "I hadn't realize you still came to visit."

Remus did not speak, for what could he say.

Instead he stood with Andromeda, staring silently at Dora's grave for a few more minutes before finally leaving once and for all.

oOo


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: Hello all! I apologize for this chapter being posted about three days but it's been a bit of a busy week as I transition from holiday to spring semester. Nontheless, here it is. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and this one as well! Wishing you all a very lovely Saint Valentine's Day this week!_

oOo

"What do you think?"

"I don't know, it's a very difficult decision." Fleur reported, the indecision clear in her voice as she contemplated the best choice.

Bill chimed in, "How difficult could it possibly be?"

"Hush Bill, don't stick your nose in things you don't know."

"And since when do you know anything about plants and flowers?"

"More than you I should say."

Luna sighed as she stared at the four different arrangements for table pieces that were in the running to attend Ginny and Harry's wedding on May seventeenth, the date having already been set. She was only vaguely aware of Bill and Fleur arguing.

Bill laughed, "Shouldn't this all be up to Ginny and Harry anyhow? Since when have you two been planning someone else's wedding?"

Fleur scoffed, planting her hands on her hips as she turned to glare at her husband, "Well of course Ginny is making all the final decisions for the wedding, but we're just making it easier for her by providing her with only the very best options. And besides, these are for the engagement party, not the wedding. _Those_ arrangements will be made later."

"Isn't that not for another month?"

"What's your point?"

Bill was practically roaring with laughter at this point, "This is getting out of hand. Honestly, just how far in advance do you need to prepare an arrangement that only takes a few days? Remus what do you think?"

Luna's ears perked up at the conversation taking place then, her attention always tuned in to even so much as a mention of Remus.

Luna looked over to where Remus was sitting by Bill at the table. All four were gathered at the kitchen table, it having been cleared of their meal from earlier and now overtaken with an assortment of plants and flowers.

There was little over an hour before they would have to begin preparing for the full moon that night.

Remus smirked at Remus before looking over at all the plants inhabiting the kitchen table, his eyes meeting Luna's.

"I think they should make a plethora of options for Ginny," he teased.

Fleur burst out into laughter, "See Bill. Remus has got the right idea."

Bill laughed, punching his friend's shoulder playfully.

Luna grinned, happy to see Remus joking about.

Things with Remus had been good, more than good. Luna had never been so happy, and she was sure Remus was happy as well. Luna loved most the moments in the morning after she had slept over at his home the last few days and they lay in bed in the early morning hours, kissing and whispering, Remus' hand running over the scar on her rib cage as Luna explored all of his scared.

She had noted a few days ago that Remus had seemed sad, or not so much sad but as if something was weighing on his mind. It made Luna little nervous, not knowing what he was thinking, but unsure if she should ask.

However, it seemed he was better now.

Fleur looked at the clock then before saying, "You should start heading up for a bath now Luna."

Bill took one last sip of his tea then got up, "We'll start setting up the wards."

Luna nodded at Fleur then shared a smile with Remus who went out with Bill, and then went upstairs to take a quick soak in a warm bath.

As Luna gathered her things she was struck by how normal these full moon nights were now for them all. Just last summer Luna had been sneaking into the forests by Ottery St. Catchpole keeping her secret from the Weasleys. Luna had never imagined that it could be like this.

oOo

Remus finished setting up the last of the wards alongside Bill and then sighed. All there was left to do was to wait.

It had been an interesting last few months for him, to be sure. The war had been finally won, he'd mentored an ex-student on her newfound lycanthropy, fallen for said ex-student, and now was in a secret relationship under everybody's nose, including their closest friends.

Remus was beginning to feel a new growing sense of foreboding from keeping secrets from so many friends who cared very much for him and Luna. Whereas before he had wanted nothing more than for their relationship to be kept from all others, now he felt feelings of betrayal when he thought of what the others didn't know.

He thought this new wave of guilt had been spurred after his unexpected run in with Andromeda three days ago.

He had yet to tell Luna about what had happened by Tonk's grave, or that he had even gone in the first place, and he wasn't sure why.

He didn't think it was because he didn't want Luna to know that he had gone to go visit Tonk's grave, it had been a goodbye after all.

It was more his interaction with Andromeda that had left him unsettled and uncertain.

He wasn't sure how he should bring it up to Luna or if he even should, not so much unsure of what Luna would think so much as he wasn't even sure what was leaving him so confused.

He felt that the future was unstable at the moment.

So much so that part of him wanted to tell everyone of his relationship with Luna to just prevent any scandal or fight that more than likely was sure to come ahead.

He felt that the knowledge of their secret relationship was a ticking time bomb and that it would not be long before it went off.

Still, Remus tried to reassure himself by convincing himself that he was just an old paranoid werewolf and did his best to push his worries aside and make the most of his time with Luna.

Remus grabbed his shirt by its ends and pulled it over his head, letting it drop to the ground, unconcerned for the cold as he and Bill had set up plenty of warming charms.

"Looks like you're finally completely comfortable with Luna, then," Bill commented, motioning to the shirt Remus has just let slip to the sand.

Remus froze, switching his weight from foot to foot distractedly. "Yes," Remus chuckled uncomfortably, "I suppose I am."

Remus searched the younger man's scared faced, not unlike his own, to try and determine what he was thinking. Bill was a hard read however.

Bill finally looked away, off to the sea, "I'm happy you've continued to help Luna in this way. I'm sure she is too. I could never have helped her half as well you have."

Remus looked away, feeling a burst of pride in his chest.

Deciding to change the subject, Remus asked, "How are you and Fleur doing?"

Bill faced him again, his face brightening impossibly at the mention of his wife, "We're doing great, mate. I don't think I've ever been this happy, or excited, or nervous all at once."

"Why are you nervous?"

Bill shrugged, "Just the thought of having to care for a fragile newborn baby is enough to make me want to shit my pants."

Remus laughed, clasping the younger man's shoulder. "You're going to make a great dad Bill, there's no doubt about that. "

Bill nodded, taking a deep breath, "I appreciate that, mate."

Remus nodded and they were quiet for a moment, waiting for Fleur and Luna to come down any minute.

"Have you ever thought of having children Remus," Bill asked then and Remus felt his stomach flop.

Remus cleared his throat, "Not recently."

"Do you want kids?"

Remus couldn't help it when for a moment he imagined a young child running towards him, long blonde hair trailing after her, or wonder what it would feel like to hold the warm weight of a small baby against his chest.

"Maybe one day."

Remus heard Fleur and Luna then and turned to see Luna make her way down, Fleur staying by the house so as to not exert herself too much in her delicate state.

Luna met them by the shore and Remus noted with some amusement how concentrated Luna was on keeping her gaze above his shoulders. He might have teased her about it later if he wasn't also having a difficult time noting how nicely her pajamas fit her slender body.

"How do you feel Luna," Bill asked.

Luna smiled at him, "Lovely. You really needn't worry anymore Bill, especially with Remus around."

Bill eyed Remus, "Yes, he's quite the teacher."

There was an awkward tension palpable in the air, Remus could see from her furrowed eyebrows that even Luna could sense it.

Finally Bill shrugged and said his farewells, heading back to the cottage and his wife.

"What was that about," Luna turned to Remus questioningly once Bill was out of earshot.

"Has Bill been acting strangely lately, asking more questions about me, mentioning me more when I'm not around," Remus asked, trying to hide the urgency he felt.

Luna frowned as she thought about it, "No, not that I have noticed. You think he suspects?"

Remus looked away, "I'm not sure. I could just be paranoid."

"Would it be so bad if Bill found out?"

Remus turned to look at Luna sharply again. The topic of how long they would keep their relationship a secret had not been brought up since the first day they had talked about it on the beach a month and a half ago.

He knew that Luna had been alright with keeping their relationship a secret for some time to allow them to explore and enjoy their relationship together without outside judgment, however he assumed Luna must consider a month and a half was just about the right amount of time. He suspected Luna would be getting restless soon, ready to tell others about them, especially now that she had turned seventeen and was legally of age.

Now with Luna's question, Remus found his thoughts racing, wondering if he truly was ready for everyone to know about them.

"I suppose not," Remus said slowly, tentatively.

Luna smiled at him, but it was not up to its usual happiness, and Remus felt guilty thinking that perhaps Luna could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

Remus looked away, not sure how to reassure Luna.

Luna touched his arm and Remus shivered as her fingers danced down until she was slipping her hand into his grasp.

"Luna," Remus said quietly, forcing himself to remain still and not glance at Shell Cottage's window to see if Bill or Fleur were watching them.

"We're only holding hands Remus," Luna said quietly, reassuringly, "We can always say I was scared and you were comforting me."

Remus thought about how more often than not it was Luna who was comforting him.

Then Luna's hand squeezed his at the same instant he squeezed hers as they both felt the pull of the moon, and so their night began.

oOo

It had been a slow morning, the day only brightened by the fact that it was now lunch time and Luna was in the backroom with him, the two enjoying a hearty lunch he had picked up earlier for the pair of them.

They now sat amongst the piles of books eating in comfortable silence when Remus decided to speak.

"I think it would be alright if we told someone."

Luna paused, her spoon with soup halfway to her mouth when she put it down and turned to look at Remus with wide eyes, as if asking if he really meant what she thought he was saying.

Remus had been thinking about it nearly all night and he had finally come to the conclusion that he was being a coward.

He loved Luna, and she loved him. He was genuinely happy with her, and he could see a future with her.

He wanted to see what more their relationship could develop into, and as much as Remus loved all their lunch dates and their secret, stolen nights, it was difficult to see how they might extend their relationship if they were limited to only that.

None of that was possible if they continued to see each other in secret.

Luna set her food down and twisted her body so she was facing him, "When you say it would be alright to tell someone…"

"Not everyone right away of course, but we could work our way up to it," Remus suggested, taking a deep breath. Luna was looking at her with such large, loving eyes, he couldn't help but stroke her cheekbone. "I want to be able to go out with you and do regular everyday things with you like eating at a nice restaurant together, going grocery shopping, take you camping, and going for walks in Diagon Alley while holding hands. We can't do that the way we're going now in secret. We need to tell people eventually, and I think we should start with telling just one or two people. I love you, I shouldn't be scared to let the world know."

"That all sounds so wonderful. I love you as well."

Remus' heart quenched at the way Luna's eyes became wet and he wanted to kick himself for not having been the supposedly brave Gryffindor he was and suggesting this earlier.

Remus grinned, pleased that he had made his witch happy and leaned close for a kiss.

Luna responded fervently, wrapping her arms around him and sliding closer to him until she was on his lap. Luna slid her moist tongue into his mouth and Remus did not even have the decency to care that such an innocent touch could excite him so. Remus gripped Luna's hips and held her impossibly closer.

When Luna pulled away he almost whined the way his wolf was but it quickly became a moan when Luna began peppering warm kisses along his jaw and neck, causing Remus' prick to begin coming to attention. It wasn't considerably often when Luna would kiss him in this way, more due to her inexperience than anything else, and he found it absolutely intoxicating.

When he felt Luna tentatively bite down on his skin Remus growled and moved to kiss her again, Luna moaning in surprise.

Remus found Luna so intoxicating that he was not aware that someone was making their way into Flourish and Blott's backroom until Bill was shouting.

"Remus!"

Remus froze and Luna gasped, her hair slapping his face as she turned to also look at a red-faced Bill Weasley gaping at them with a mixture of anger and confusion. He was holding a paper bag in his hand, no doubt having been sent by Fleur to bring by lunch for Remus.

"What the hell is going on here?" Bill shouted.

Remus could sense Luna was still in shock, at a loss for what to say, so he tried, "Bill, let us-"

"What? Let you explain? Merlin, Remus this is insane! I thought there was something strange going on between you two but I thought I was just seeing things, tricks of the mind, and I was right all along? How long has this been going on?"

Luna finally seemed to have found her voice and stood, reaching out with her hands as if to calm a magical creature, "Bill, please."

Bill shook his head, not even able to look at Luna. "I can't do this right now, I have to be at work soon. We'll talk later."

With one last glare at Remus, Bill stormed out of the backroom, leaving Remus and Luna alone and quiet.

Remus' mind was going at a hundred miles a second as he ran over what had just happened, wondering if he was about to lose Bill as his best friend. He was trying to understand if the universe was ever going to quit reminding him that he was a man that bad things happened to.

"Remus?"

Remus looked up shakily at Luna who was standing near, concern evident on her face.

Remus was more than aware of the fact that he had literally just been telling Luna that he didn't want to keep their relationship a secret anymore, and now he was on the brink of a panic attack when someone did find out about them.

Remus took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair, thinking quickly, "It's alright. What say you we take our leave from work early today?"

"Alright," Luna agreed, and not a moment later she had her arms wrapped around his waist and her cheek against his chest. "I suppose if we were going to tell just one or two people about us to begin with, it was probably going to be Bill and Fleur anyway."

Remus chuckled half-heartedly, "I suppose so."

The two grabbed their things and let their respective bosses know they weren't feeling well, and together apparated to Remus' flat.

oOo

When they arrived at Remus' flat, Remus immediately went for the kitchen, asking Luna if she would care for a firewhiskey as well.

"Sure," Luna said slowly, trailing after him.

Remus poured them both drinks and Remus gulped his entire cup in one go before pouring himself another and slumping onto one of his kitchen chairs.

Luna couldn't help but think this was one of those rare moments when Remus looked his age.

Luna wanted to tell Remus it was all going to be fine, but she wasn't sure that that was exactly what Remus needed to hear at the moment.

Remus needed to first unwind, relax, and Luna was starting to get an idea of how she could help.

"Shall we take a hot shower," Luna suggested.

Remus stared at her from under his bangs, as if asking if she really thought that would help.

Feeling particularly daring, Luna shrugged and pulled her dress up and off, quicker than she had the first time in front of Remus.

"Suit yourself," Luna said sweetly, and made her way to Remus' bathroom.

Luna was already in the shower when Remus finally came into the bathroom after her, just as she thought he would.

Remus opened the shower stall door, and Luna tried not to blush as Remus' bright amber eyes roamed over her wet form. Remus quickly rid himself of his clothes and came in after her. Luna immediately opened her mouth to him and eagerly met his tongue with hers.

Being in a shower with a man was extremely erotic for Luna, and it wasn't long before she was moaning against Remus' lips as his hands trailed down to cup and squeeze her arse as he pulled her right against his hardness, her own hands massaging his chest.

Remus' right hand went over the curve of her bottom to slide his finger in between her folds from behind. Luna groaned, her hips began to move, and by the look in his eyes, even he was surprised by how easily her hips moved in time with his hand.

It was that look in Remus' eye that gave Luna the bravery to push her hands on his chest, away from him and do something she had been thinking about for days.

"Luna," Remus asked, confused from her sudden separation from him, until Luna leaned in again and began kissing his collarbone where she had left off earlier.

Remus moaned appreciatively as she kissed his chest, tentatively licking one of his nipples as her hands roamed his stomach. Soon Luna was beginning to go lower and lower and Remus knew what she was planning to do.

"Luna, you don't have to-"

Remus hissed in pleasure when Luna bit down next to his hip bone, settling on her knees in front of him.

Luna stared at Remus' hard member in front of her, this being the closest she had ever been to it. She briefly wondered how it was that Remus had actually entered and fit inside her so perfectly with this before, and soon once again if she had her way. Luna leaned forward and kissed the tip.

Remus moaned and when Luna looked up at him, he was biting his bottom lip adorably as he stared down at her with wide eyes, as if not quite believing that she had actually done that.

Luna smiled at him then returned her attention to his prick and grabbed gentle hold of it with one hand and taking it into her mouth. Remus gasped, and Luna began to learn.

Luna suckled at the head and wrapped her hand around the base, taking a little more and more of it into her mouth with each bob of her head. She could hear Remus breathing heavily above her and when Luna had as much of him in her mouth as she could take and she began to suck, Remus growled, one of his hands tangling into her hair.

In a moment Remus had pulled her head away and picked her up in his arms. Luna thought that he was about to take her right there against the shower stall but instead he carried her out and nearly threw her onto his bed and climbing on after her, not at all caring that they were still dripping wet from the shower.

Remus sucked on her neck and then breathed hotly against her skin, whispering, "Are you wet enough?"

Luna knew that he was genuinely asking, but hearing Remus ask her such a question when they were both naked on his bed could only draw a moan in response from her.

Remus seemed not to mind however as he took matters into his own hands by fingering her entrance, checking for himself if she was wet enough for him. Remus inserted two fingers into her, pumping faster than he had the previous times and Luna mewled underneath him, eager for more.

Remus sucked on Luna's hardened nipples as he fingered her, occasionally letting his teeth graze the tight bud as he began spreading her juices all over her labia. Luna's hands were in Remus' hair, spurring him on in his attentions of her.

Finally Remus tilted up and wrapped his hands around her thigh, pulling her up with a strength she forgot he possessed until she was lined up with his cock.

Luna gasped before Remus sank into her, the both of them groaning and trembling at the sensation of the most intimate connection.

"Remus," Luna was almost embarrassed at how whiny her voice sounded, but once her wizard began to move inside of her she didn't even care.

Luna's soreness had gone away since the first time Remus had been inside her, and Remus seemed aware of it as well as his initial speed was not as it had been the last time.

The first time Remus had been so very slow and gentle, now, although still gentle, Remus wasted no time in setting a pace that had Luna gasping, moaning as she felt how her breasts were bouncing every time Remus pushed back into her. Remus was staring down at her with a hunger she had rarely seen, his eyes alternating from watching her face to her breasts to the place where their bodies met. Luna had no idea how long she was going to last.

Remus leaned down and slid his hands under her to grasp her shoulder, holding her as he increased his pace even more. Luna cried out in pleasure, her face flushing at the feel and sound of Remus moving inside her.

"I love you so much," Luna gripped his arse in her hands and wrapped her legs around his waist, mewling when he sank even deeper. Her nipples were so sensitive, she gasped every time Remus' chest brushed against them.

Remus growled and bit her shoulder and soon Luna could feel the heat in her belly sending ripples of pleasure across her body and she could feel her cunt wrapping tighter around Remus' hard shaft inside of her.

Just a few minutes more and then Luna was convulsing in Remus arms, crying out as she came, Remus immediately letting go once she had found her released.

Luna cradles his head in her hands as he trembled above her, his limbs weak from their release. Remus rolled them over so he was on his back and Luna lay on his chest, still gasping as they two gave themselves a few minutes to calm and cool down.

Luna kissed Remus' chest and he stroked her still-wet hair as they lay.

When Luna could finally think straight she rested her chin on her hands over Remus' chest so she could look up at his face.

He no longer looked so old now. His eyes were closed, and his hair was sticking to his forehead, a combination of water and sweat. His cheeks were a little flushed and his lips parted as he relaxed.

Luna kissed his chin and he opened his gaze to stare almost sleepily at her before cupping her face and pulling her up for a proper kiss, his cock slipping out of her as she scooted higher to kiss him.

When she pulled away she stroked his cheek and whispered, "It'll be alright Remus. You'll see."

Remus kissed her forehead and murmured what Luna had been hoping he would say since the moment Bill saw them.

"Whatever happens, I'm not letting you go."

oOo

Remus wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground as he and Luna stood outside Shell Cottage, preparing themselves for the very difficult conversation they were about to have with Bill and Fleur, the people who had taken Luna in and taken care of her, his closest friends.

Luna gently squeezed his hand and then opened the door, pragmatically letting her hand slip from his, probably so as to not rustle any feathers as they went in.

Fleur and Bill were in the kitchen, Bill staring at his crossed hands on the table where he sat, and Fleur standing behind him.

Remus felt his chest strain at the confusion and hurt in her eyes.

"Fleur," Remus rasped but Bill cut him off.

"I've already told Fleur what happened today, what I'm now sure I've seen on the past full moon and the night Ginny and Harry announced their engagement," Bill said sternly.

Fleur was looking straight at Remus, but there was nothing in objection that he or Luna could say to that.

"So it's true," Fleur asked, and Remus wanted to hug the blonde woman for ever waiting to hear from him first after all he was sure Bill had told her when he came home.

Luna took his hand and Remus nodded.

Fleur's eyes widened as she stared at their joined hands and then looked down at Bill who seemed not in the mood to speak anymore. Remus was thankful that at least the man was no longer angry as he had been at Flourish and Blotts. He had cooled down to a dreadful silence, no doubt Fleur having done her best to calm and reassure him the moment he came home.

"How long," Fleur asked when it became clear Bill would not speak.

Remus and Luna looked at each other, contemplating if they should give their whole story.

Luna squeezed his hand again, "Nothing official until New Year's Eve night, but I've been in love with Remus since around the time you announced the pregnancy."

Bill's eyes looked sharply at Luna when she spoke the word 'love.' "Luna, you're only seventeen."

Luna frowned and was about to speak when Fleur said quietly, "I was seventeen when I fell in love with you."

Bill now turned his attention to his wife, his eyes wide in surprise at what she had just pointed out. Even Remus was in shock, wondering if Fleur was possibly sympathetic to him and Luna.

Bill sputtered, "That's different, I'm only seven years older than you, but Remus is…"

Bill looked at Remus, the word 'old' unspoken between them all. Remus needed no reminders that he was technically old enough to be Luna's father.

Fleur shrugged, "They're twenty years apart, that's not such a huge gap to many."

Bill stood now, apparently shocked that Fleur was seemingly alright with all of this. "Alright, sure, twenty isn't such a huge age gap in most relationships, but Luna is too young! It would be different if she was, I don't know, twenty-five and he was forty-five, but Luna's only _just_ come of age."

"So what are you saying? Luna should wait eight more years before she can be with a man she knows now that she loves?"

Remus was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with how this fight he had expected to be between him and Luna against Bill and Fleur was quickly escalating into one between Bill and Fleur.

"This shouldn't have happened in the first place!" Bill was getting madder and madder, Remus could tell. Bill turned to him again and shouted, "We trusted you!"

"Bill!" Fleur reprimanded. She turned to Remus then, slight iron in her gaze as she asked, "Do you love her."

Remus did not hesitate to respond, "Completely."

Fleur's eyes softened then, and he thought that perhaps Bill's did somewhat as well.

Fleur nodded and took a deep breath, "For me it's not so much the relationship that bothers me as much as the fact that you didn't tell us in the first place."

"We knew not everyone would agree with this relationship, that's why," Luna explained. "I'm actually the one who asked Remus to keep us a secret. "

Bill looked at Luna, surprised at what she had just said.

Luna nodded, "Remus didn't even want to admit how he felt for me in the beginning, that's why he stayed away for so long. He was trying to stop what he was feeling for me. Believe me, we did not go into this relationship lightly. Once Remus finally gave in, I'm the one who asked him to keep us a secret. We both knew that once others found out there would be resistance, and I knew that Remus would constantly have that looming over his head, so I asked him to keep us a secret at least during the beginning so that we could explore what we had without being influenced by friends who wouldn't understand."

Bill looked a little embarrassed as Luna finished what she had to say, but Remus was in awe of his young witch and how fiercely she defended them.

They were all silent for a while until Bill finally spoke, "Who else knows?"

"No one," Remus said quietly, aware that he'd said little else throughout this whole exchange.

"We'd been planning to tell somebody first though, we wanted to confide in you two," Luna explained.

That seemed to really hurt Bill deep, and he looked away, red in the face. Fleur smiled softly at them, tears filling in her eyes.

"I need to think," Bill muttered and left the kitchen to go away, to his room presumably.

Remus squeezed Luna's hand, aware of how cold she had gotten. Surely she too felt the sting of Bill's rejection just as deeply as he did.

Fleur took a shaky breath and approached them. For a sinking moment Remus thought the blonde might slap him, as she was very well within his right to do, but instead she gently placed her hands on Luna's shoulder.

So close together with their blue eyes and blonde hair, Remus could almost imagine that they were sisters.

"I'm not so happy that you kept this from us for so long," Fleur explained, looking at them both before settling on Luna again, "but I understand your reasons, and I respect them."

"You're not mad, about us I mean," Remus asked slowly, afraid to break this delicate tension between them.

Fleur looked at him and smiled, a genuine smile that gave Remus hope as she said, "How could I be mad? Two of my closest friends have found love, and with each other. You're both happy?"

Remus and Luna both nodded.

Fleur embraced both Luna and Remus, "Then how could I not be happy?"

Remus could feel Luna shaking as she cried. When finally both women had calmed Fleur pulled away.

Remus did not want to ruin the moment but he was still very much concerned about the red-head upstairs. "What about Bill?"

"I'm afraid the French have more liberal views on love," Fleur attempted to joke. She sighed and shook her head, "He just needs some time. You must understand, we both love Luna so dearly, she's family now, and so are you, but this is all very delicate. Remember, Bill has a sister who is exactly Luna's age, you can see why this would be so difficult for him to understand, for anyone to understand."

Remus nodded solemnly, understanding but still upset that there was a rift between him and his friend.

"You should know though, I support you both and I will keep this quiet for so long as you both wish, and so will Bill," Fleur assured them.

"Thank you Fleur, that means so much to us," Luna sighed.

"Yes, thank you Fleur," Remus agreed.

Fleur nodded, "Shall we have some tea?"

Remus stayed for another hour, drinking tea and learning what it was to be with Luna and someone who now knew about them. It hurt Remus that Bill was upset, but still, as he sat at the kitchen table with Fleur and Luna, he couldn't help but feel that some of the weight that he had been carrying on his shoulders had slipped away.

oOo

A week later, Luna was at Slug and Jiggers with Ginny and Harry who were there to look at all the floral arrangements Luna had created for their engagement party next month.

Ginny was absolutely ecstatic with all her creations and was actually having quite a difficult time deciding which arrangement to select, which made Luna prouder, much prouder than she could put into words.

Luna sighed wistfully as she watched Ginny debate with Harry through her mental pro and con list of every arrangement.

It had been a rough week but Bill was finally starting to come around. Remus was making a point of coming over to Shell Cottage every day, which Luna was really proud of him for. Luna knew that he was upset his friend had reacted so negatively to their relationship, but he was also adamant of not letting it get in the way of him and Luna. He would not shy away from their relationship for Bill, even if Remus had to force him into getting used to it the by showing up every day.

The first day when Bill came downstairs and Remus was there he had immediately gone upstairs and not returning down until Remus had left. That night Luna could hear Fleur screaming at Bill, and the next day instead of going back upstairs he remained at the kitchen table with them, though he did not speak or look at either of them. This only lasted two days however as finally Bill began to join in on their conversations, though he remained civil and not at all as he usually was with them.

On the fifth day as Remus had gotten up to put his plate away Bill had gotten up at the exact same time and accidentally bumped into Remus, causing the older werewolf to drop and break his plate. Both men had looked fierce and Bill had growled Remus' name, his nostrils flaring. Luna and Fleur had shot up, thinking the two were about to break into a fight. The air had been so thick with tension until Remus had finally asked, "Well, is that as close as I'm going to get to an apology?"

"Yes. No. Yes. You?" Bill responded.

It took a moment but Remus nodded, and before Fleur or Luna could catch up with what was happening Bill and Remus had clasped each other into a hug.

Fleur and Luna had sighed, relieved that no punches had been thrown.

That night after Remus had left and Fleur had gone to bed, as Bill and Luna had stayed up cleaning up Bill had paused to put his hand on Luna's hand and told her he was sorry. Luna had kissed his cheek and smiled.

Things had been better in the past two days, not exactly as they had once been but they were better. There were a few awkward moments, but there were was also laughter at the kitchen table now, and that was enough to warm Luna's heart.

"Luna, can I ask you something?"

Luna blinked out of her thoughts to look at Harry who was standing near to her now while Ginny stood ways away inspecting the flower arrangements. "Yes Harry," Luna asked curiously, wondering why Harry had lowered his voice.

Harry was clearly trying to figure out how to put what he really wanted to say as he mumbled, "I was just wondering, how are you?"

Luna smiled confused, positive that wasn't really what Harry wanted to ask. "I'm fine Harry, how are you?"

"I'm fine."

"What's really on your mind Harry," Luna wanted to laugh.

"Is…is Remus good to you?" Luna felt her heart freeze as she waited for Harry to say more, worried about giving herself away. Luckily, Harry was staring down at the floor and did not notice how much his question had affected her. "What I mean to say is, he's not tried anything with you has he?"

"I'm not sure what you mean Harry," Luna said slowly.

Harry let out a short laugh, "I'm not quite sure what I mean either. I've just…I dunno, I think Remus might fancy you."

Luna's eyes were as big as saucers and when Harry looked at her he laughed, "I know, it sounds ridiculous. I think I'm just imagining things, honestly."

Luna forced herself to laugh, "And they call me the loony one."

Harry laughed, truly now, and Luna was thankfully safe from having to continue this conversation when Ginny cried out in frustration, "I can't take it anymore! I need time to think! Let's go grab lunch and I'll decide on the way back. You come along too Luna."

Luna had never moved so quickly as when she ran to the backroom to grab her bag and join Ginny and Harry.

As the three friends went out Luna locked the door behind her and slipped the key carefully into her bag. Slug and Jigger's owner was quite old and slow now and rarely stayed past the lunch hour, entrusting Luna with the key.

"Hey look who it is," Ginny said then.

Luna looked over to a dark-haired woman a little ways down the street that Ginny was pointing at discreetly.

"Who is that," Harry asked.

"That's Andromeda Black, or Tonks now rather," Ginny explained.

Luna frowned, "That's Tonks mother?"

Ginny nodded as the three walked in the opposite direction, "Yes, she hasn't gone out since Tonks died, but she has been making appearances more and more recently. There was even a short mention of it in the Daily Prophet."

Luna wondered if Remus was aware and if he was still in contact with Andromeda. Thoughts of Remus made Luna contemplate about what Harry had said.

For someone like Harry who rarely paid attention to such things to notice Remus looking at her differently, Luna knew that she and Remus were getting lax. She could only imagine who else might notice or suspect something between the two of them.

Luna decided to not mention to Remus about what Harry said, he was already going through so much with Bill knowing. No, she would simply be more careful and make sure that Remus was as well.

oOo


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Note: It has been two weeks since I've updated! Ugh! Let me tell you, I never thought my senior year would be quite this busy with work, school, internship, and life basically. Hope that you are all well and enjoying what I've written and above all that you continue to remain patient! Sending you all much love as a late Valentines! Enjoy!_

oOo

Luna breathed in the lovely smell of fresh morning air that she loved so much.

She opened her eyes and blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the leftover winter sunlight as she searched Remus out. He was a little ways away at his desk, a quill in his hand as he scratched away at some parchment. Luna had seen him doing that quite a bit lately when she woke up in his room but she had always tended to fall asleep.

Luna let her body slowly wake up as she stared at Remus, his dark brown eyebrows furrowed as he stared down at whatever it was that he was writing. He was shirtless, only wearing the pajama bottoms Luna had given him for Christmas. Luna loved admiring Remus when he wore next to nothing, though not entirely for sexual reasons. Remus always dressed very proper, rarely even pushing up his shirt sleeves to reveal his forearms. Luna knew it was mostly because he was embarrassed by his scars, but Luna didn't mind them. Luna appreciated these moments when Remus was comfortable enough to relax in his own skin. He looked most beautiful to her in these moments.

Luna loved waking up in Remus' bed because it always smelled like morning air, even in the middle of the day. Of course, Luna knew the reason Remus' sheets always smelled like that was because that scent came from Remus himself. Luna smiled as she noted that his bed must hold traces of her own eucalyptus scent by now from how frequently she had been sleeping at his place.

Fleur knew that Luna was sleeping over at Remus', the Frenchwoman much more understanding of what Luna did in her relationship with Remus. It had been a month since Bill had found out about Luna and Remus, and three weeks since Bill had finally begun to be comfortable with their relationship. They were all in very good standing now and things were back to how they had been before Bill and Fleur found out about them, with the exception that now Remus and Luna felt comfortable holding hands and sharing short kisses in Fleur and Bill's company. Luna would go so far as to say that Bill was even happy for them.

Still, both Fleur and Luna agreed that perhaps it was too soon for Bill to know that Luna had been sleeping over at Remus' flat at least three times a week since Luna's seventeenth birthday.

Things had been developing nicely between her and Remus. Luna was so completely in love with Remus, she had trouble thinking about how there was once a time that she had thought nothing of him but as Bill and Fleur's good friend, a forgotten professor from long ago.

Finally, Luna got tired of simply looking at Remus and got up, letting the bed sheets slip from her naked body as she made her way over to Remus, a testament to how comfortable with Remus she was that she was not at all concerned with her nudity.

Luna sighed, wrapping her arms around Remus from behind, her chin resting on his shoulder as she placed a kiss on Remus' jaw.

"Darling," Remus rumbled happily in greeting as he stopped his writing to place a hand affectionately over Luna's.

"Morning," Luna replied, her voice husky with sleep as she let her hands massage slowly over Remus' chest. "Have you been up very long?"

"About two hours," Remus admitted.

"Loony," Luna laughed. Remus smirked and twisted his neck to look at Luna.

Luna grinned and captured him in a kiss. That kiss quickly became more and Luna pulled away for a moment so that she could sit on Remus' lap, the small of her back against the table's edge. Luna wrapped her arms around Remus' neck and continued their kiss, sighing as Remus placed his large palms on her waist.

It didn't take long before Luna's naked hips began rolling against Remus while his hands traveled up her smooth stomach to cup her breasts, his prick hardening beneath her. Luna moaned, feeling her body burning up as Remus's mouth closed around one of her breasts while his hand squeezed and massaged the other. When Remus' lips sucked on her nipple and then released it with a little pop Luna gasped and reached down to push down Remus' pajama bottoms down and take him in her hand.

Remus groaned and rested his forehead against her breast as he watched Luna stand a little to align herself with him before impaling herself on him. They both moaned at the sensation of being joined, Luna's position allowing for Remus to stretch and fill her more deeply than usual.

Luna continued to roll her hips, locking her lips with Remus' as she moved. When Remus grasped Luna's hips again and began to hold her a little higher so that he could thrust up into her, his breath catching in his throat, Luna knew it wouldn't take long.

As Remus came inside of her she kissed along the column of his throat, nibbling along his jaw. Remus groaned, his thrusts becoming more sporadic as he spilled the last of himself into her.

Luna could feel her own orgasm approaching, her breath getting heavier and heavier as she pulled away to look down at Remus. He'd told her once when he'd been inside of her that he loved staring at her face when she was cumming, and ever since then Luna loved to look at Remus' face whenever her orgasm was near. She loved looking at Remus' awed expression as he stared at her, his jaw slack and his eyes hooded as he seemed to commit her expression to memory.

Luna tried to maintain her gaze on Remus but soon she could feel her stomach fluttering and her walls clamping down harder and harder around Remus. The pulses of pleasure she was experiencing were spreading throughout her body and she could feel herself growing restless as her body came so close. Finally, Luna felt it, that indescribable release that had her arching her back and throwing her head back as she came with a cry before becoming a mess of limp bones leaning against Remus as she caught her breath.

Remus chuckled deep in his chest, his hands stroking her sweaty back and hair until Luna finally had calmed down enough to kiss his temple.

"You alright love," Remus asked kissing her cheek.

Luna smiled happily, more than sated, "I'm alright, just in need of a shower now."

Remus laughed and Luna wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Luna loved these moments when Remus was content just wrapped up in her embrace and the fact that Remus was more than happy to hold her for so long did things to her smitten heart.

When Luna finally pulled away and her back brushed against Remus' desk she was reminded of how she had come upon her wizard.

Luna twisted a little, her arms still around Remus as she looked down the many sheets and sheets and sheets of parchment Remus had laid out.

"What are you working on Remus," Luna asked.

"Take a look," Remus encouraged.

Luna grinned at Remus then turned around on his lap and started riffling through the papers as Remus wrapped his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.

Luna's brows furrowed as she quickly noticed a trend in what Remus was writing.

"Why is this all about werewolves?" Luna asked.

Remus was quiet and for a moment Luna thought he hadn't heard her until he said, "I'm writing a book."

Luna eyes widened and she turned around to look at Remus who was looking at her with somewhat nervous eyes, but he was also biting his bottom lip to contain his smile.

"You're writing a book," Luna said slowly. As soon as she said it aloud it all processed for Luna and she practically bubbled with pride and excitement for Remus. "Remus, that's amazing! How long have you been working on this?"

Remus laughed appreciatively at the excitement in Luna's voice and kissed her shoulder before explaining, "A little after we talked about the wolf, I was thinking about all that I've learned about being a werewolf and how I'm still learning things and I thought about all the other werewolves out there who know just as much as me or less or more and then I thought about how despite there being a considerable werewolf community out there, there's very little written on lycanthropy. And what is out there is considerably old."

"So you decided to write a book," Luna said in awe, running her hands over the parchment.

"That's the idea. I mean, this all just a very rough first draft at the moment, and I haven't spoken to anyone or shown anyone this yet, but I thought it might lead somewhere."

"And after the war, you're seen in a very different light than you were before. People are calling you a war hero! I'm pretty sure you'll find a publisher who would be interested in this, not to mention an audience," Luna thought of all the possibilities that were going to occur for Remus, and how this book might change another werewolf's life.

"Exactly, this idea would have never even been feasible less than a year ago," Remus agreed and Luna nearly melted at the excitement she heard in his voice.

"Remus I think this is so wonderful," Luna said. "You've combined your love of teaching with writing and now you're going to share it with the world."

"I would have never thought of it if it hadn't been for you," Remus said. Luna blushed and looked over her shoulder back at Remus, feeling her heart flutter when he leaned in for a kiss.

"I actually have some news too," Luna said when Remus pulled away. "It's not as big as this at all but, I've finally put up a notice for the Quibbler's sale. It'll be on the Daily Prophet on Thursday."

Remus grinned, "That's great Luna. This is what you want?"

Luna nodded, "Yes, honestly I felt so relieved when I finally sent it in. I'm excited to hear back from interested buyers."

Remus smiled and kissed her cheek, "Well it looks like we have an interesting few months ahead of us, don't we?"

Luna smiled and leaned back against Remus' chest, wrapping his arms tighter around her as she thought about the future. It pleased her to know that wherever she was in it, she knew Remus would be there as well.

oOo

Remus finished putting up his portion of the wards around the beach shore that he and Luna would be transforming in, in less than an hour. When he had begun working on the wards it occurred to him that this was his first time alone with Bill since before he had found out about his relationship with Luna.

As Remus peered over to where Bill, a skilled curse-breaker, was still painstakingly setting up wards, Remus could tell that Bill was very aware of this fact as well.

Remus waited patiently. There was only so much checking and re-checking of wards that Bill could do before he had to finally face Remus.

Bill finally squared his shoulders and turned around to face Remus, his face not giving much away.

Remus waited expectantly but soon grew weary.

"So is this really how it's going to be from now on? We're friends in public but now you won't even speak to me in private?" Remus asked, not angrily, more hurt.

"We are friends Remus," Bill said unconvincingly.

"Oh really, because the friend I remember used to drop by unannounced at my flat or at work, or invited me to go for a run every week. It's been a month and I've gotten nothing but silence from you. I hope you're not treating Luna this way when I'm not around."

"Of course not," Bill retorted sharply, clearly a nerve was hit at the mention of Luna. "I told you I apologized haven't I?"

"Yes, but you've said nothing on whether or not you're alright with me and Luna," Remus pointed out.

"I am! You must know I am," Bill protested in that same unconvincing tone.

"Then why won't you speak to me?" Remus asked, finally raising his voice.

Bill looked away, and for a few moments Remus thought the younger man would walk back up to the cottage with a huff, as most angry Weasley's were prone to do.

"I've been ashamed," Bill said so quietly that Remus almost wouldn't have heard him if it hadn't been for his keen senses.

Remus furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "What?"

"I've been ashamed alright," Bill said, more loudly this time as he glared at Remus. Instead of anger in his eyes, however, Remus saw something closer to guilt in his green eyes.

"Ashamed by what, by me?" Remus asked, still unsure where Bill was going with this.

"No! I was ashamed of myself," Bill corrected, taking a deep breath. "I've always prided myself on being open-minded and accepting, Merlin knows I'm the most open-minded of my family."

Remus could not disagree there, noting Bill's long hair and the dragon fang earing he still wore.

"I've worked with and gotten along with goblins, I married outside my country to a younger woman, I'm a pureblood who fought on Harry Potter's side, while I may have not wished it I'm alright with my werewolf tendencies, and I'm best friends with you. Then the moment I find out about you and Luna I lose it and when I think about it now, I can't believe what a tosser I've been. I treated you so unfairly, with so much anger. I can't believe that I would ever contemplate treating you like that."

Remus softened a little at the clear turmoil his friend was in. "You were being protective of Luna," Remus pointed out, not faulting Bill completely. Who was to say he wouldn't have acted exactly the same, or worse, had their roles been turned around.

"It's no excuse," Bill shook his head. "Fleur is incredibly protective of Luna as well and she did not hesitate to accept you both with open arms. I couldn't even apologize to you properly."

"I forgive you nonetheless," Remus insisted. "It's not as if I have done no wrong either, Bill. You and Fleur welcome me into your home and trusted me to watch out for Luna, and instead I start developing feelings for her. I could have tried harder to stay away, to ignore those feelings."

Bill shook his head, "You can't help who you fall in love with."

Remus stilled at the omission, reading this as more acceptance that Bill had ever demonstrated to his relationship with Luna.

Bill looked directly at him, "This past month I've seen how much you care for Luna, and how much she cares for you. The more I watch you two the more I can't help but see how well-suited you are for each other. Honestly, I'm not sure how we didn't see it before. Fleur was right. You're both our friends, we should feel nothing but joy that you've managed to find love in each other."

Remus instructed his eyes not to tear up and sniffled, nodding appreciatively at Bill. Bill came closer to him to clasp his hand on Remus' shoulder, "Shall we get a drink in a few days? After you've recovered from the full moon."

"I'll be looking forward to it mate," Remus told him.

Remus sensed Luna drawing near and sure enough, looked up to see Luna approaching dressed in a t-shirt and loose-fitting shorts. She skipped down to the sand to them, completely unaware of the conversation he and Bill had just had and leaned against Remus' side, standing on her tip-toes to press a hello kiss to Remus' lips.

When she pulled away Remus was glad that Bill had not looked away or looked uncomfortable. Instead he sported a slight smile at the sight of them.

"Well, I'll be going up now," Bill told them. He nodded at Remus and kissed Luna's cheek before going up to join his sleeping wife, the both of them no longer finding it necessary to watch over Remus and Luna during the night, confident that they would remain safe.

"Is everything alright," Luna asked Remus, her blue eyes reflecting the sunset as she stared up at him, her hands wrapping around his waist comfortingly.

"Better now," Remus smiled at her, squeezing her shoulder as he held her with one arm.

Luna grinned at him but before Remus could bend down to kiss her he caught something in the air. He had not time to be impressed when Luna's nose crinkled, also catching something amiss in the same moment he had.

"Harry," Remus said identifying the leather and fire smoke he smelled. Remus turned around, his arm slipping from Luna's shoulders to look up to where Shell Cottage stood. Sure enough, there stood Harry and Ginny staring down at them with what looked like a bottle of firewhiskey.

Remus' heart pumped wildly at the look of confusion and anger set in Harry's face as he began to charge down the hill to the shore.

"Harry," Luna gasped quietly and moved to meet him halfway but was met with the invisible wards stopping her in her path.

Remus hissed when he felt the first bone crack. The full moon was about to begin.

"Harry! Ginny! Get out of here," Remus shouted which only resulted in Harry's staring at him with outrage and moving quicker towards them.

"Leave now!" Remus shouted just as Luna collapsed to her knees from the pain.

"Luna!" Ginny shouted, running after Harry.

Remus could take the pain no longer and fell to the floor, the world a complete blank to him as he passed out and transformed.

oOo

When Remus came to he saw that Luna was already up, and she was restless. He could see her whining and pacing along the border of his and Bill's wards, and it did not take long for Remus to see why.

A ways off Harry was arguing with Bill, Ginny nearby as she stared at Luna and him in shock.

Luckily, it appeared he and Luna had both transformed before either Ginny or Harry had made it to the shore, as they appeared to not have a scratch on them.

Harry was screaming his head off at Bill, "Why did no one tell us!"

"It was not our place to say," Bill insisted, calmly, rationally.

"Harry, maybe we should go inside," Ginny said looking at Remus now that he was awake. Remus could sympathize with the youngest Weasley. From he could tell Ginny had always exuded bravery but he knew it could be daunting seeing a werewolf for the first time, two at that.

Harry looked over at Luna and Remus before stomping off to the cottage with Ginny trailing after him. Bill looked over to Remus and Luna sympathetically before following after them.

Remus wanted to shout in frustration.

So Harry and Ginny knew that Luna was a werewolf now too, that was irrefutable. The question that was at the forefront of his mind however, was whether or not they had guessed the nature of his relationship of Luna. He knew it must have been a sight for the young couple to come upon seeing their ex-professor with their friend on a romantic beach during nighttime with his arm around Luna's shoulders. Remus only hoped Bill had the sense to cover for them.

Remus looked over to Luna and knew that she was worried as well.

Remus waited a little for Luna to relax and not worry, but she was restless. Remus snorted in his wolf form and got up, nudging Luna's shoulder and then pouncing away playfully. Luna stared at him only for a moment, as if not in the mood to play, but finally she seemed to realize that there was nothing they could do for the next few hours so they might as well play and pretend to enjoy themselves for a while.

oOo

When Luna woke up she groaned. Her body was really aching this morning, and she wondered if it had anything to do with the stress of worrying over what Harry and Ginny were currently thinking.

When she blinked her eyes open she turned her head to see a robe folded neatly beside her. Luna grabbed it and sat up, covering her body as she looked over to where Bill was helping Remus up.

When Bill saw Luna was up he rushed to speak, "Don't worry, they don't know about your being together. Obviously I couldn't deny that you're a werewolf now Luna."

"Do they suspect," Remus asked at the same time that Luna asked, "Are they angry?"

Bill shook his head as he hand Remus a pair of sweats, "They were angry at first, Harry mostly, that you hadn't told anyone about having become a werewolf. I managed to calm them down and I explained everything about Greyback. They were a little upset but they calmed down after that. They're still here, they're wanting to apologize and see how you are. Fleur is with them.

As for whether or not they suspect, at first I think they did. Quite frankly, Harry was shocked to see you on the beach, he said you two were hugging. He said that when he saw Luna not able to go past the wards we set up his first instinct was to help her. Seeing you two turn quickly made him forget whatever suspicions he might have had I think. I explained to them that you've been teaching her about the ways of being a werewolf, Remus. I told them what a great help and comfort you've been to her. I think that might have explained a lot to them."

Luna felt some relief at the knowledge that her friends were not upset. She would not have wanted them to have found out about her relationship with Remus in this way, it was bad enough that they'd had to find out about her lycanthropy like this. Luna looked over to Remus and frowned slightly as she noted how his first question had been whether Harry and Ginny knew about them.

Luna knew that this was a logical question to ask and it was a concern she had as well. Still, she couldn't help the slight hurt she felt at how that was the first thing Remus had asked.

The three made their way up to Shell Cottage where they found Fleur serving tea to Harry and Ginny where they sat at the kitchen table.

As soon as they saw Remus and Luna enter they leaped to their feet and Ginny was lunging at Luna to embrace her in a hug, bursting into tears.

"Oh Luna, I'm so sorry," Ginny hiccupped. "I'm so sorry this has happened to you."

Luna did not hesitate to return Ginny's hug, "There's no need to be sorry Ginny."

"Are you alright," Ginny asked, pulling away to clutch Luna's shoulders as if to inspect her.

Luna's heart melted at the clear concern on Ginny's face, as if Luna had only just been bitten. "I'm fine, honestly. I've been fine, with Remus' help."

"Oh Remus, you wonderful man," Ginny cried then, remembering Remus and clutching him in a hug as well.

Luna tried not to laugh at how uncomfortable Remus looked, patting Ginny's shaking shoulders.

"Why wouldn't you tell us," Harry asked, a little hurt.

Luna's smiled sympathetically at the Boy Who Lived, already imagining how Harry must have been beating himself up over the knowledge that yet another person had been hurt during the final battle for him.

"I just wanted no one to worry," Luna said honestly. "At The Burrow, everyone was already dealing with so much loss and pain. I didn't want to add my own problems on top of them."

"Luna, we never wanted to make you feel like that," Ginny said, pulling away from Remus then to wipe at her eyes.

"I know," Luna nodded in understanding. "But you all needed time to heal, and I needed to take care of myself. That's part of the reason I agreed to move in with Bill and Fleur."

Ginny looked over at her eldest brother with adoring little-sister eyes. Bill smiled and placed his arm around Ginny's shoulder.

Luna saw how Harry caught the gesture and then looked at Remus, no doubt recalling the scene he had stumbled upon last night. "I'm sorry I shouted at you," Harry said guiltily to Remus. "I thought…I don't know what I thought."

Remus blushed a little, knowing what it was Harry had probably thought though he did not say it. "It's alright," Remus said clearing his throat. "You were worried about Luna."

Harry nodded, as if convincing himself that was what he had been thinking the whole time.

"So you're alright now," Ginny asked Luna, wanting to be sure.

Luna nodded, "I swear, I'm completely fine. Remus has been a good teacher, helping me learn everything I needed to know. Honestly, I'm not even sure why I've continued to keep this a secret for so long."

Fleur seemed to think this a good time to offer breakfast. They all sat and enjoyed a hearty meal of potatoes, eggs, and ham.

Luna did her best not to glance too much at Remus, worried about what was going through Remus' mind. She could only imagine how shaken he must be by having been so close to being found out by yet another one of their friends.

When Remus excused himself to go home Luna was quick to be the first to walk him out. Once they were out of the kitchen and by the front door Luna cupped Remus' face and whispered for him to wait for her.

Luna went back to the kitchen and excused herself to go up and sleep before returning to Remus and taking his hand to lead him out and apparate to his flat.

Once there Remus sighed heavily, exhausted, falling onto his bed and rubbing his face, his knees propped on his knees as he groaned, "That was so close."

Luna felt her heart beat nervously and quickly went to kneel before Remus, taking his hands away from his face so that she could look at him.

"It's fine Remus. They don't know," Luna assured him, though it pained her that she had to reassure him like this.

"I know, I just…did you see the way Harry looked at me before he saw us transform? I'm not sure he wouldn't have drawn his wand on me," Remus said quietly, and Luna could see the pain in his eyes.

"Harry would never do that. He was just in shock," Luna tried to convince him.

"Is it going to be like this every time if we tell people about us," Remus asked.

Luna did her best to contain herself at Remus saying 'if' instead of 'when.'

"If they continue to find out by walking in on us like that, then yes. They wouldn't react nearly that terribly if we sat down and told them," Luna tried weakly.

Remus shook his head slowly, "I suppose we'll just have to be more careful then. We can't afford any other close calls like that again."

Luna wondered if Remus knew how he was breaking her heart right now. Clearly Remus was now wanting them to remain a secret for longer after this scare. She had hoped that with Bill and Fleur knowing about them now that soon they would tell others, but after what had just happened she worried he would never want to.

But it was late, they hadn't slept all night, and the exhaustion from the transformation was weighing heavily on them. They needed sleep and this was not a good time to discuss this.

Luna licked her lips and got up.

"Let's sleep now," Luna said, climbing into Remus' bed and lay down on her side, pulling him close to her. Remus wrapped his arms around Luna's waist and pressed his face to her chest sleepily.

"I love you," Remus said sleepily, pressing a kiss to the skin between her breasts where her robe had parted.

Remus' breathing slowed to that of sleep and Luna said nothing as she stroked the hair on his head and closed her eyes, her tears disappearing into Remus' pillows.

oOo

It was a few days later that Luna was sitting on the sea shore by herself, dressed in a warm parka to shield away some of the lingering cold March wind. She hoped April would be warmer.

Luna held her knees closer to her chest as she wondered about what April might bring. Would she and Remus have told others about them, or would they still be where they were now? Luna clutched the stack of post in her hands tighter.

Stuck.

Ever since Ginny and Harry had found out about her being a werewolf, the news had spread and now practically everyone she knew was aware of what she had turned into. She had gotten quite a few letters and visits from a flurry of Weasleys and school mates wanting to know that she was alright and whether or not she needed anything, all of them mentioning what a great man Remus was for being so kind as to help her during this difficult transition.

Every time someone came to talk about her lycanthropy, Luna felt worse and worse. Not because people now knew about it, but because she felt like she was lying more and more to the faces of all their friends, especially Ginny and Harry.

It was one thing to hide their relationship, but to outright redirect Harry who had suspected that there was something more? It felt more and more like betrayal. Luna could only imagine how Harry might feel once he did learn about Remus and Luna and that his suspicions had been right all along.

Remus however had not thought about any of this or was otherwise more content to continue hiding their relationship from their friends.

Luna wasn't sure how to go about convincing him that they should tell other people about them now. He was right, Ginny and Harry had been a very close call, but while for Luna it was a sign to begin telling others before they dug themselves a deeper whole, for Remus it was a sign to become even more secretive.

These were the thoughts weighing heavily on Luna's mind when she caught the scent of two friends drawing near.

Luna turned around, happy to see Ginny and Hermione making their way down from the cottage, a wonderful way to get her mind off of Remus.

Luna did her best to put on the most genuine smile that she could.

"Oh Luna" Hermione said as the two older girls sat on either side of her on the sand.

"How are you doing,"' Ginny asked, her hand reaching for Luna's.

"I'm fine," Luna responded honestly. She held up the stack of post she had in her hands, "Getting a lot of fan mail."

Ginny took a few of the posts from Luna curiously, skimming through them.

"What do they say," Hermione asked.

"I gave Bill and Fleur permission to start spreading the word about me being a werewolf," Luna explained simply.

"This is basically fan mail," Ginny snorted, riffling through the papers and then handing them over to Hermione to see.

"There's some lovely letters in there," Luna pointed out. "From your parents, Ginny. Neville sent some lovely words too, and Professor Flitwick."

"Did Fleur and Bill mean for everyone to find out," Hermione asked, a deep frown set on her face. "There's something here about the Daily Prophet here inquiring whether you'll do an interview with them."

Luna laughed lightly, shaking her head, "Bill and Fleur didn't but I did. It was only a matter of time before the entire wizarding community found out. Honestly, I'm glad it's all out now. I didn't quite like having secrets."

"Wow, I wouldn't have thought there would be so much positivity in these letters," Hermione murmured before she blushed and looked at Luna. "I just mean that, with the prejudice against werewolves and magical creatures."

"Oh no, not anymore Hermione. Haven't you been reading Witch's Weekly?" Ginny asked eagerly.

Hermione scoffed, "You know I hate that rag Ginny."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Well anyway, according to Witch's Weekly there's a lot more interest in magical creatures than there ever has been. Spreads on famous vampires, elves, and werewolves. There was even something in there about Remus, praising him for being a war hero and all that. He's becoming a bit of a teen heartthrob."

Luna's eyes widened at Ginny's information. Granted she wasn't a follower of Witch's Weekly either, but she was still surprised to hear that apparently her boyfriend was being fancied by the young fan base reading the magazine.

Hermione burst out laughing, "I can't believe what's being allowed to be published these days. Looking at werewolves as sexy, forbidden creatures to lust after is only marginally better that ostracizing them."

"You're one to talk!" Ginny laughed, pointing her finger at Hermione. "Who was the one who was lusting after Professor Lupin all third year through fifth?"

Luna's eyes widened even more in amusement as she turned to look at the busy-haired girl who was currently becoming more and more flushed and sputtering nonsensically.

"I-I never saw Professor Lupin as a forbidden creature to lust after," Hermione finally sputtered.

Ginny was beside herself with laughter, "Maybe not as a forbidden creature but you certainly thought him fit and attractive with his books and his height and his intelligence. Oh admit it Hermione! You had a schoolgirl crush on Remus Lupin."

Hermione blushed even harder if possible, her intelligent mind scrambling for a response. Finally, Hermione sniffed primly and turned her nose up and away, "Well, that's all it was anyway, a schoolgirl crush."

Ginny was snorting with laughter at this point, and Luna couldn't help but giggle as well, having been completely unaware that serious and level-headed Hermione had harbored a crush for Remus during her Hogwarts years.

Ginny nudged Luna gently in the ribs, "I bet Hermione would love to be in your place right now, huh Luna. Getting to see shirtless Remus every month."

Luna blushed and was thankful when Hermione admonished outraged, "Ginny! Professor Lupin is helping Luna transition into her lycanthropy. He's not a juicy steak to slobber over."

Nothing got past Ginny however who pointed a thin finger at Luna's cheeks, "Oh, what's this? I think Luna's has something in common with you Hermione."

Hermione's eyes widened as she too noticed the blush Luna was trying to hide, but quickly pulled herself together again, "Oh stop Ginny please. You see, you're just embarrassing Luna."

Ginny laughed and lay back against the sand, "Oh fine, well if you two won't admit it I will. Remus may be shy and gentleman and all that, which is all fine and good, but I can admit he's also a fine-looking man. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing him naked every month."

Hermione groaned and covered her blushing face, no doubt ashamed for having such lurid thoughts about a former respected professor.

Luna was still blushing heavily as well but couldn't help but laugh as well and lay back the same as Ginny. Eventually, Hermione got over her sensibilities and lay back as well, the laughing bug catching her as well, and soon all three girls lay on the sand giggling and whispering about other men they thought attractive.

Luna enjoyed her time with her friends, their laughter and gossiping helping to lift her spirits a bit. Still, there still weighed heavy in the back of her mind the matter of Remus and where he stood on the secret that was their relationship.

oOo

 _Author's Note: Anyone got any good recommendations for Remus/Luna fics? I know they're far and few in between. I'll even take adequate recommendations at this point!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: Wow, okay so this is a very long chapter, the longest one I've written yet. I hope you're ready for everything that's about to go down._

oOo

"Luna! Are you ready?" Luna heard Fleur call from downstairs.

"Nearly ready!" Luna called back down, taking a deep breath and looking at herself once more in the mirror.

Luna felt a little guilty knowing that she had taken extra care in her appearance that night. She was wearing a dark purple dress with little dragonflies on it and had the perfect flowing lift on it should Luna feel like twirling in circles. Luna had also added a few sparkles and flowers to her hair as some extra finishing touches. These were the little touches showing that Luna had put in a little extra attention tonight in preparation for Ginny and Harry's engagement party.

When Luna thought about why she was trying to put extra effort in her appearance tonight, she could feel herself deflate a little.

Luna looked over to where Remus' birthday gift to her sat on her dresser, a lovely piece of magic Remus had created just for her.

There was really only one thing Luna wanted though, and she wasn't so sure that Remus was willing to give it to her.

Luna was getting increasingly more and more tired of keeping her relationship with Remus a secret. It was something she had always been going back and forth on from the beginning, from the moment they had shared their first kiss to the morning of New Year's when they had their first kiss as a couple. Despite the fact that Luna had been the one to insist that they keep their relationship a secret, she had not intended it for the secrecy to remain this long.

The hiding and sneaking around had originally been so that she and Remus could get comfortable and confident with each other without any outside influence or judgment. It had been a lovely few weeks of stolen kisses and touches and whispered promises and words of affection and Luna treasured that time close to her heart. Luna had been over the moon when Remus had agreed they should consider telling someone or a few select friends about their relationship, and then Bill had stumbled upon them and it was as if Remus had had the floor swept out from under him. Then Harry and Ginny had nearly found out about them and now Luna felt as if they were right back to where they started even before New Year's, with Remus constantly being plagued by doubts and fears about outside judgments.

Remus didn't tell her these things, but Luna could see it in his eyes. There was a solemnness to Remus that hadn't been there before. Yes, he still kissed and held her and brightened when he saw her, but it was different. Not a moment after he kissed or touched or saw her, he would grow quiet, as if contemplating his thoughts and actions. Luna could feel Remus pulling away from her, and it scared her to death.

Luna did her best to stay positive and shower Remus with love, affection, and assurances of her love for him and the importance and specialness of their relationship, but it was getting harder for even her to pretend that everything was alright. She wanted to Remus to do good on what he had said before, about not keeping them a secret forever. She wanted to be able to go out with him in the public eye, she wanted to hold his hand while they were with friends, and she wanted to be able to kiss him without looking around to make sure no one was looking or near. She was tired of leading this secret double life and she was tired of lying to their friends.

Luna grabbed her bag and went downstairs to where Bill and Fleur were waiting for her. The three together went out past Shell Cottage's wards and apparated outside Number 12 Grimmauld Place where the engagement party would be taking place.

All the while, Luna was thinking about the fact that something had to give soon in her relationship with Remus.

oOo

The first thing that Remus thought of when he entered Grimmauld Place was that it was more packed than he had ever seen it. It was probably more crowded than Sirius had even seen, with people he would have actually liked to have invited anyway.

As Remus passed the foyer and into the main room where the biggest chunk of people were, he couldn't help but notice how much Grimmauld Place had changed, particularly in its décor.

Harry had been living here since the end of the war and it was obvious that he had been very busy in that time. You would almost never believe that Grimmauld Place had once been inhabited by generations upon generations of Pure-Blooded Slytherins. Harry had clearly worked hard to turn the once depressing house into a warm and welcoming home, no doubt with help from Ginny and Kreacher, and Hermione and Ron as well.

Remus said hello to Ginny and Harry's guests as he braved deeper into the room. The place was so packed that it took him ages to get from one side of the room to the other. It seemed that Ginny and Harry were going to be opting for a large wedding after all.

When Remus ran into the young couple, he could tell by the strained look on Harry's face and the bright and glowing face on Ginny that the large wedding decision had more than likely been the redhead's. When Harry's gaze fell on Ginny and his expression relaxed, however, Remus knew that the younger boy didn't really mind as long as it made Ginny happy.

Remus ended taking up with George and keeping him company in a corner, both of them nursing heavy drinks. Remus enjoyed celebrating young love and all that, especially if it was in honor of a boy who he considered a nephew, but large crowds still weren't exactly his forte. George was good company, joking and clever but also receptive to when Remus preferred a little more quiet. In the past George would have gone on talking and talking without mind for those moments when Remus preferred a little peace, and it pained Remus a little know that it was his twin's death that had made the young ginger quieter.

As he bounced around ideas with George for his joke shop, Remus caught the scent of jam and chocolate in the air.

Remus looked up and sure enough there was Luna, Fleur, and Bill making their way through the crowds toward them.

Remus tried very hard not to suck in a breath too hard at the sight of Luna, very aware of the fact that George was definitely one of the cleverest and most perceptive of the Weasley's.

Remus couldn't help but stare however. Luna always looked beautiful to Remus, but tonight she looked particularly radiant with her sparkling hair and long eyelashes framing her beautiful blue eyes.

She'd chosen a silky, thin dress for that night, with long billowy sleeves and a neckline that went down into a sharp v, exposing some of the flat skin between where her breasts were hidden. A part of him wanted to admonish her for wearing something so airy when it was still cold out, but a bigger part of him couldn't help but be appreciative of all the lovely but modest skin he could trace his eyes over.

 _Take her upstairs._

Remus scolded the wolf, though a part of him couldn't help but be tempted by the idea. When the three arrivals were finally close enough to say hello properly Remus did his best to banish any thoughts of taking Luna upstairs and ravishing her. Not only was the idea incredibly inappropriate, but it would be a highly risky one to attempt considering that they were in a friend's home currently overpopulated with people.

"Hello," Luna said quietly in that dreamlike voice of hers as she leaned in for a one-armed hug. It was an innocent hug of course, polite and friendly for any young lady, but Remus noted how Luna let her cheek brush lingeringly on his cheek in a way that Hermione and Ginny never allowed when they greeted him.

Luna pulled away, no one any of the wiser. Not even George who was busy hugging his brother in greeting noticed. Only Fleur caught the moment-too-long lingering if the sparkle in her eye was anything to go by.

"Quite the shindig they've got going on here, isn't it," Bill commented.

George said something in agreement but Remus hardly heard what his companions were saying. He was distracted by Luna standing across from him and the look on her face.

She was looking at him the way she had before New Year's, that eager hopeful brightness in her eyes. It was as if she was trying to convey with her eyes alone how much she wanted him, as if he weren't already hers.

Remus' heart tightened painfully as he recognized what he saw there, and he knew it was all his fault.

Remus knew what Luna wanted. How could he not know? A part of him had wanted it as well.

He hadn't been lying that day in the back room of Flourish and Blotts when he had told Luna that he loved her. When he told her that he wanted to be able to take her out and kiss her and hold her without fear or worry of those around him.

It was just so bloody difficult to get over his own feelings of self-doubts of incompetence.

He couldn't get over the look on Harry's face when he had seen him with Luna that night of the full moon. If Harry, a boy who loved him and considered him family could look at him like that, no doubt others would look on him the same or worse. Not to mention how they would look at Luna as well.

They were playing a dangerous game.

They were risking so much.

He would be lying if he said that a part of him didn't wish that he could keep his relationship with Luna a secret forever.

Luna would never stand for that though. He could see it in the way she had been kissing him harder and with more desperation as of late, as if trying to mold them into one being. He could see it in the way she held his hand and hugged him tighter, as if not wanting to let him go. He could see it in the way her eyes lingered on him in crowds, as if she were begging him to say something. What's worse was that she wasn't even angry with him. She didn't yell or pressure him or argue with him about what she wanted. She just stared with those sad eyes and almost pained expression. He was hurting her, he knew, so not only was he was a coward but a git for making Luna put up with all this.

Even now Luna's shoulders were deflating as she stared at him.

 _You're losing her._

Remus grimaced and looked away from Luna, doing his best to focus on the conversation taking place between Bill, Fleur, and George.

Remus could not even look at Luna when she quietly excused herself to go say hello to Ginny and Harry, the tone of sadness only identifiable to him.

When Luna was gone George piped up, "Luna's looking quite fit lately, hasn't she?"

 _Hurt him._

Remus neck nearly snapped his own neck as he turned sharply at George, the younger man completely unaware of his murderous thoughts.

"George," Bill lectured, seeing the look on Remus' face.

"She's definitely interesting," George tilted his head a little as he stared off to where Luna had disappeared.

"George will you walk me over to the drinks table," Fleur said then, "I need to you help me pick out from the bowls you haven't spiked with alcohol."

George laughed and nodded, taking Fleur's arm in his to accompany her. Good thing too as Remus was growing suddenly increasing impatient with the twin.

When Fleur and George had gone, Bill chuckled beside him, placing his hand on Remus' shoulder, "Everything alright there, Remus? I must say for a moment there I feared for my baby brother's life."

Remus scoffed and quickly downed the rest of his drink, Bill's eyes widening in an impressed manner.

"Shall we grab another," Remus asked.

Bill looked somewhat surprised by Remus' sudden eagerness to drink but then shrugged, "Aw, what the hell. This is a celebration after all!"

The two waited for Fleur and George to leave the drinks table before the two men made their way over to it, taking from the bowls they were sure George had spiked.

oOo

Luna sighed as she sat perched on one of the couch's arm rests, her elbows resting on her knees as one hand carried her drink and the other cradled her chin as she stared out at the party raging all around her.

It was getting late now and most of the older guests had already gone home for the night, but a lot of the younger guests, and even a good handful of the middle-aged guests were either outrageously drunk, or were about to be. This was probably the first true huge party that many of them had attended since the last battle, and everyone was eager to let loose and have a good time. Even Molly had been spotted earlier giggling while she held a suspiciously smelly drink.

Luna herself was considerably tipsy and well on her way to becoming drunk. She wasn't all too sure how wise an idea it was to be perched on the couch's arm rest given her state, but the couch was brimming with guests too drunk to stand at the moment and offered limited space for her to sit.

Luna had even seen Remus swaying somewhere earlier, laughing loudly with Bill and Charlie in a way that he didn't usually when he was sober.

Luna sighed at the thought of Remus. He'd hardly said two words to her all night. Logically she knew he couldn't blame him. There were so many people here that could catch something between them, especially if their inhibitions were a little loosened with all the drinks they'd had.

Luna was vaguely aware of the guest sitting next to her getting up and making his way for the drinks table. She was, however, very aware when a tall man plopped himself down in the guest place.

"Hey there Luna."

Luna glanced over disinterestedly at the ginger next to her. "Hello George."

"Doesn't look like you're enjoying the party very much," George pointed out. The flush on his face was evidence to all the drinks and fun he'd been having that night.

Luna took a large gulp of her drink and sighed, "No, I suppose not."

"Well that's just not right. Would a dance cheer you up?" George wiggled his eyebrows at her the way he and his twin had teasingly done to groups of witches in the hallways during their Hogwarts dayss.

Luna couldn't help but giggle lightly at that. She appreciated how George could try to cheer her up without being nosy and asking her what was wrong, so in the end she finished off the rest of her drink, placed her hand in George's and joined him on the dance floor.

George was a wonderful dancer in Luna's opinion. His movements were wild and fun, and though some of the other dancers looked a little milfed at having to make so much room for his dance moves, Luna didn't mind. She laughed and had the best time that she'd had all night, in a few days if she was completely honest.

Eventually, the song changed to a much slower dance, one that required her to dance much closer to George. George made a big show of it by bowing so low his nose nearly touched his knees and holding his hand up to her in offering. Luna giggled but it was weak as she looked around, her eyes locking with Remus' gaze.

His expression was serious, and he'd no doubt been watching her dance with George for the better part of half an hour already.

Luna swallowed and mechanically put her hand in George's, allowing the redhead to pull her closer and place one of his hands on her waist.

Luna saw the way the skin around Remus' mouth tightened and how he stared at her with pained eyes, the conflict so obvious in them. Making Remus jealous was not Luna's intention, not at all. It was an invitation.

Luna eyes could just barely peek over George's shoulder to stare over at Remus who was holding his drink so hard his fingers were turning white. Luna was begging him with her eyes to come over and ask her for a dance. Luna was having a good time dancing with George and all, but if there was one person in the entire world that she truly wanted to dance with, it was Remus.

Luna could feel her eyes beginning to brim with tears as she stared at Remus. She watched his face change from anger to surprise as he realized what she wanted from him. Then she saw the pained look on his face, she saw how Remus's face twisted and how he looked away from her, just as he had done earlier.

Luna felt her tears spill over and she rested her forehead against George's shoulder in an attempt to hide them.

"Luna?" George's voice was uncertain, no doubt feeling Luna's tears wet his dress shirt.

Luna wiped at her cheeks and smiled up at George. "I'm alright George. I'm just an emotional drinker."

George looked unconvinced but did not argue, letting Luna rest her cheek against his chest and holding her slightly closer.

When the song was over Luna pulled away and excused herself, slipping away between the dancers and heading for the stairs.

Luna went up the many stairs of Grimmauld until she was in one of the bathrooms in the second floor. Or the third floor. Her drink buzzed mind wasn't all that sure. It was dark in the bathroom, lit only by a weak lamp. It was probably one of the older bathrooms in Grimmauld.

Luna splashed water on herself and grabbed some paper towels to gently dry her face, her body felt weak and tired.

Luna was just considering perhaps waiting out the rest of the party in there or just excusing herself to go back home when the door burst open and Remus stepped inside with her, closing the door behind her.

"Remus," Luna breathed in surprise, whirling around to face him, not having expecting the older man to chase after her, and then feeling her shoulders slump a little at the fact that she hadn't expected that of him.

"Luna." Remus replied, his face flushed and his eyes wild as they explored her face. She was staring curiously as his features contorted into that too familiar pained one again. "I'm sorry."

There was so much that had been communicated between them without words, and any outsider might have been confused what Remus was apologizing for, but Luna knew exactly why.

Her eyes stung as Remus closed his and breathed in shakily, "I've been so terrible to you." Luna swallowed, wanting to argue but finding herself unable to. Remus went on, "I'm sorry I'm too cowardly to tell everyone about us. I'm sorry I can't even be brave enough to speak more than a few words to you in public or ask you for a dance. I'm so sorry for all of this."

Luna wiped at her eyes and sniffed. "Remus, when are we going to tell people?"

"Soon?"

"When?" There was a desperate tone in Luna's voice, she could hear it and by the way Remus paused she knew he did as well.

"I don't know," Remus admitted honestly.

Luna closed her eyes, searching for strength as she said, "I don't know how long I can keep doing this. All the hiding."

"I know. It's not fair."

Luna opened her eyes, "You know I love you?"

Remus' eyes widened and he stepped closer to her quickly, his hands cupping her face. "I know. I love you too. So, so much."

Luna tilted her cheek closer against Remus' hand, her head dizzy and her body warm with drink.

"I know I'm being impossible, I know I haven't taken any steps to tell others, I know I'm terrible, but don't ever doubt how much I love you. Never doubt that. I'm completely in love with you." Remus said it with such a passion Luna could feel her knees weaken, unsure if it was his words or the drink causing this effect in her.

"I promise-"

"No," Luna shook her head. "No more promises. Can we just kiss?"

For one night, Luna didn't want to think about all the secrecy and the hiding and the sneaking around. For one night, Luna didn't want to think about all their friends they were lying to and how heavily it was weighing on her shoulder. For one night, all she wanted to think about was how much Remus loved her.

Remus paused, as if unsure, but eventually acquiesced to her request and slowly touched his lips to hers. Luna closed her eyes and reached up to run her fingers through the hairs at the nape of Remus' neck as he brushed a hand against her cheek, wiping away the wetness there.

Luna swiped her tongue against his bottom lip, pulling him closer, wanting to feel her body flushed against him. She wanted to feel all of him, warm and tall, the built of a protector.

Luna trailed her lips and tongue along the column of his neck and listened to Remus' gasp as his hands reached down to wrap tightly around her waist, the way they were prone to do when she did something to his body that he particularly liked.

Remus picked Luna up and plopped her down on the edge of the sink, standing between her legs and rubbing his hands along her thighs, the movements causing the skirts of her dress to ride farther and farther up. Luna watched Remus admire the dress she was wearing and the skin it exposed. He ran a finger between her breasts along the skin between her breasts, all the way up to her shoulder where his eyes seemed to ask for her permission before he slowly pulled down one of the sleeves to expose her left breast.

Luna felt strangely vulnerable in her partial nudity under Remus' gaze in a way that she hadn't felt in a while. She could feel her body tremble and her cheeks flush as Remus' gaze traveled from her breast to her face, his eyes dark and open wide. Luna's tongue darted out quickly to swipe at her bottom lip and she watched fascinated as Remus' pupils dilated more than they already were.

Luna leaned close to press her lips against his again, her hands travelling down to the waist of his pants where she began to trace his belt. She could hear Remus inhale deeply but found difficulty concentrating once one of his hands finally slipped under her dress and trickled ever closer to her naked quim. She could hear Remus groan deep in his throat as he realized she wasn't wearing underwear and wasted no time in stroking her, his fingers working her until she was nearly overflowing.

Luna finished undoing his pants and then gently pushed Remus away with one hand against his chest. Remus stared at her in confusion at having been pushed away but Luna quickly jumped off the sink and turned around so that her back was to him, her eyes meeting Remus' as she stared at him through the mirror's reflection. Luna placed her hands on the sink's edge for purchase and Remus realized how she intended to have him.

Luna could feel the slowness in Remus' movements as one of his hands settled on her waist and the other slowly lifted her dress skirts up to reveal her bum to him. Luna struggled to calm her breathing in anticipation as Remus took his sweet time running his hand around the curve of her bum. She could see how appreciative his eyes looked as his eyes explored below her waist. Luna could watch no more as his hands went lower to her entrance, his fingers ensuring that she was wet and ready before he was then easing the tip of himself into her.

Remus moved in and out of her, slowly easing himself deeper and deeper into her, aware of how this position was stretching her in a way that she wasn't used to. Luna moaned when she felt Remus was in to hilt within her, his body trembling a little as he controlled himself. Luna tilted her head up to look once more into the mirror, watching Remus watching her. He pumped once inside of her and Luna mewled.

Remus groaned and moved again, setting a rhythm for them. Luna had of course made eye contact with Remus before while having sex, but there was something oddly different about it when they were staring at each other through a mirror. Luna could see the way her breasts bounced every time Remus pushed into her, the way Remus large hand looked as it cupped the left one, his fingers searching for her nipple and tugging at it gently in a way that made her breath catch.

Luna closed her eyes as she felt Remus' movements get more erratic, her own heat springing tighter and tighter within her just waiting for release.

She found it a few moments later, her entire body trembling as Remus followed not too far behind her, his groan much louder than was probably safe given where they were. Luna nearly collapsed but Remus pressed his hand against her chest with enough pressure to keep her up and pressed against his own chest. Luna was still gasping as Remus pumped a few last times into her, feeling his warm seed leak inside her each time as his teeth gently sucked her earlobe into his mouth.

Luna whispered his name and Remus used his hand to snake further up against her throat, turning her gently so that he could kiss her, the last of his seed filing her. Luna's chest was warm and heavy with their actions as she leaned back against her wizard, feeling safe and loved in his embrace.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here?!"

Luna gasped and never in her life had she ever felt so startled as she did when looked into the mirror to see the reflection of Andromeda Tonks standing in the doorway.

"Andy!" Remus shouted in shock, his cock softening faster than it ever had before, slipping out of Luna. Remus released Luna as if she were made of fire and struggled to adjust his cock back into his pants meanwhile Luna quickly pulled the sleeve of her dress back up to conceal her naked breast.

Andromeda did not stick around to watch Remus and Luna compose themselves, instead slamming the door back shut as she left.

Luna could feel her heart pounding as Remus groaned and quickly pulled her dress down, struggling to zip his pants up. Luna had never experienced this level of fear and nerves inside her so quickly after having been on such a high moments ago, her body still humming from her orgasm moments earlier and her head dizzy from all that she'd had to drink that night.

"Stupid, that was so stupid!" Remus was cursing to himself as he finally fastened his pants closed. "How could we have been so stupid and careless! We didn't even lock the door! We shouldn't have done this!"

Luna felt herself step back in some shock at Remus' words. She could understand being startled and frightened at Andromeda walking in on them the way she had, but Remus seemed to be on an entire level entirely. He was shaking as if trying to contain his anger and frustration, and the way she had referred to them both as stupid and careless.

Luna thought it not wise to point out that it had been Remus who had forgotten to lock the door behind him.

Luna trembled a little herself, her mouth dry as she struggled to find words of comfort. Maybe Andromeda was drunk and confused. Maybe she would just go home and not think anything of this night apart from it having been a lovely engagement party for Ginny and Harry. Maybe, Andromeda's age had not been kind on her eyesight and she had not gotten a good look at who she had walked in on in the bathroom.

Then they heard the screaming.

It was muffled somewhat by the distance and the music playing, but that was definitely Andromeda downstairs screaming at the top of her lungs at anyone who would listen.

Both Remus and Luna stood absolutely still, frozen as if they were hiding from Death Eaters as they listened to Andromeda shout and soon there were other voices shouting as well before the music was abruptly cut off.

"I'm telling you, I know what I saw!" That was definitely Andromeda's shrill, angry voice shouting.

There were inputs of confusions, shock, and outrage from friends and family alike before Bill shouted, "Alright, everybody out! I think it's time we all retire."

"I will most certainly not be going anywhere!" Andromeda screamed.

"Fine! You can stay, but everybody else leave! Party's over," Bill was shouting.

There was some shuffling and shouting and both Remus and Luna remained quiet in the bathroom, listening to the sound of multiple party guests leaving Grimmauld Place until only Andromeda, Bill and Fleur, Ginny and Harry, and probably a few Weasley's and other close friends stayed behind.

"I want answers, and I will not be leaving until I've had them!" Andromeda was still shouting, and Luna wondered if she had perhaps also had a little too much drink that night.

There were some quieter voices speaking and then slow steps going up the stairs straight to where Remus and Luna remained frozen, unable to meet each other's eyes.

There was a light knock on the door before Bill opened it, his expression somber and his eyes full of sympathy as they roamed over Remus' and Luna's rumpled clothing and disheveled hair.

"I'm afraid there's no getting out of this one." Bill looked like he wanted nothing more than to offer them some sort of escape route. Instead he said, "Andromeda wants to speak with you, and a few others as well."

"Who else is down there?" Remus asked quietly, his eyes still not meeting Luna's.

Bill seemed to not want to say but eventually listed the names. "Ginny and Harry, mum and dad, George, Hermione, Ron, Charlie, and Kingsley. Fleur and I kicked everyone else out."

Remus nodded. "I suppose we'll have to go down."

Bill nodded and stepped out first.

"Remus."

Remus finally looked up at Luna, his face suddenly looking ten years older. The end of his mouth twitched, as if he wanted to give her a comforting smile but could not draw enough willpower to do so. He stepped outside and Luna followed after him. She could feel her heart beating heavily the whole way until they were downstairs to where all who Bill had mentioned stood waiting for them, a collection of faces expressing anger, confusion, and seriousness.

Andromeda was the first to speak. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Luna winced as she noted how Andromeda was only directing herself to Remus.

Before Remus or Luna could respond Molly chimed in. "Is it true? Were you two…"

Luna noted that Molly was one of those present who looked considerably angry, her face flushed red, and she didn't think that it was from what the older witch had been drinking earlier.

"Yes, it's true." Remus responded evenly.

For a moment everyone spoke at once. Andromeda, Charlie, Harry, and Molly were all screaming in outrage while Hermione, Ginny, and Harry all gasped unable to contain their shock. Only Kingsley, George, and Arthur remained silent, the disappointment particularly evident in Mr. Weasley's eyes.

"How long has this been going on," Molly shouted, her raging eyes searching both Remus and Luna. Luna wanted to cry at the way Molly was looking at her now as she had never done before.

Luna was unsure if she could muster enough courage to explain but it seemed she didn't have to as Remus responded to Molly once more. "Officially, since New Year's Eve."

Molly sputtered in shock at how long this had all been happening underneath her nose.

"I knew it! You knew that I knew and you lied to me! You lied to my face," Harry shouted then, his gaze jumping from Luna and Remus, the anger and hurt clear for anyone to see on his face. Luna could feel her heart beginning to break.

"And what about unofficially?" Andromeda cut in, not caring for Harry's feelings at all.

Luna looked over at Remus, her heart trying to escape from her throat as she looked at the older man. Luna had never seen Remus like this, so serious and still as if he were a statue, or a machine. He appeared almost unseeing as he answered Andromeda once again. "I can't say when exactly, but sometime after I began meeting with Luna to teach her about lycanthropy."

"So practically the moment Luna left our home," Molly stated, her face red and her eyes watery. Luna wanted to reach out and hold her the older woman, her own eyes welling up with tears.

"This is wrong! What you're both doing is wrong! Don't you know how wrong this is? She's only a child!" Andromeda was shrieking so loudly, her hair wild in a way that reminded Luna far too much of Bellatrix.

"How could you do this," Molly was fully crying now, leaning on Arthur for support. "This whole time sneaking around and doing this behind our backs."

"Lying to us," Harry choked on the words, clearly hurt and confused as he attempted to figure out how he felt.

Soon everyone was chiming in, questioning and shouting until Bill and Fleur were having to step in and do their best to calm everyone, all the while Remus was looking at the floor in shame.

"You knew," Molly asked, her gaze trained on her eldest.

Bill held himself tall and nodded. "Yes, they told us little over a month ago."

Luna was thankful that Bill had the sense not to mention under what circumstances she and Remus had told him and Fleur about their relationship.

"Billius how could you not tell us," Molly shouted. "How could you not stop this the moment you found out!"

Bill opened his mouth to respond but George interrupted for the first time, his attention solely on Remus and Luna. "Do you love each other?"

"Completely," Luna responded without a doubt or pause at the same instant that Remus said, "Irrevocably."

Luna felt her tears finally spill over as she glanced over at Remus at his response, the older man finally looking up long enough to look her in the eyes and smile the smallest smile there ever was. The moment did not last long however as Remus's attention was brought once more to Andromeda.

"Love? Love?! This is nothing but lust of the worst kind," The older witch was practically hissing. "It's illegal! Disgusting! Why, she's younger than Nymph- than Nymph- than my-"

Here Andromeda finally broke down. Her face collapsed into tears and she began to wail, the poor woman not even able to speak her dead daughter's name.

Luna could see the tears also welling in Ginny and Hermione's eyes, the entire situation unsettling everyone.

Andromeda's knees weakened and Molly was able to stop her crying enough to go into mother mode and went to help support the older woman's weight. Andromeda's voice trembled as she keened, "You disgrace her Remus. You disgrace her memory! How dare you?"

Luna couldn't help but begin to cry. She cried for this awful mess, for Andromeda and her grief, and she cried for the way Remus who had closed his eyes in pain, a tear trickling out of one eye down his cheek and dripping off the tip of his chin.

"We never meant to hurt anyone," Luna said quietly, unsure if anyone even heard her. Her own pain was wrapping around her throat as she looked at all the pained, hurt, and disgusted expressions trained on her and Remus. Luna could barely process the weight of Fleur's hand going to rest on her slumped shoulder, her attempt to comfort her in this very public situation.

"Remus, I think you should go," Arthur finally spoke, his hand on his wife's shoulder as he stared heavily at the man he called friend, or at the very least had in the past.

"Dad," George said, as if shocked that his father would say something like that, but Arthur quickly silenced him with one raise of his hand.

Luna's eyes turned wildly to Remus who looked almost shocked, as if he hadn't wanted to believe that this would happen. His face was tight as he did his best to hide his own pain, but she could see the way his hands were trembling.

For a moment all were silent, the only sound being Andromeda's cries until finally Molly shouted, "Leave!"

That startled Remus into action, and like the wind he was sweeping out of Grimmauld Place.

"Remus," Luna breathed, her eyes falling more rapidly as she moved to chase after him, but she was stopped by Bill who wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to her chest as Luna nearly collapsed to her knees. "No, Remus," Luna cried quietly, but he was long gone and hadn't even spared her a glance.

Luna was shaking as Bill held her tighter. "Take me home."

She felt Bill nod and reach his hand out his hand to his wife. Fleur placed her hand into Bill's, and together they all three apparated to Shell Cottage, Andromeda's wailing still ringing in Luna's ears.

Luna gasped at the feeling of apparition in such a stressed state but soon she was standing, or at least doing her best to do so, heading towards the fireplace.

"Remus. I need to see Remus." Luna was almost quiet as she breathed the words.

"Luna, wait." Bill wrapped his hand gripping Luna's arm to stop her. "Perhaps Remus would wish to be alone tonight."

"No," Luna said fiercely shaking her head. "No, he can't be alone. He'll overthink."

"Luna, maybe you should consider staying here tonight," Fleur was suggesting quietly. "It might do both you and Remus some good to sleep this night away before you see each other."

"No. No, no, no! I have to see him now," Luna said more desperately. "He's going to overthink and I can't let him do that because he'll change his mind. He'll overthink and change his mind and I'll lose him again."

Luna saw the look Fleur and Bill exchanged and took that moment to rush to the fireplace, her hand reaching for a handful of floo powder.

Bill called her name but Fleur stopped him. "Let her go."

In the back of her mind, Luna was thankful Fleur could see that she had to do this, but all of Luna's concentration rested primarily on getting to Remus and making sure that they could get through this together.

oOo

Remus sat on his bed in the dark with his face pressed to his palms. He felt older and more tired than he could remember, and he had lived through two wars for Merlin's sake.

How could everything have gone so terribly, impossibly wrong? One moment he was falling for Luna, allowing himself to listen to his feelings and go after what he wanted and gotten into a relationship with the smartest and loveliest witch he had ever met. A witch who did not care about his condition, embraced it, was like him, and loved him unconditionally. He had all these beautiful things in the palm of his hand, and even when he didn't deserve it, even when he knew Luna was getting restless and tired, still, it was all his.

Then it was being all ripped away because of one moment of recklessness, and who better to take it all away from him than the woman from whom he took so much.

The worst part was, he couldn't even blame Andromeda for everything she had said, because everything, baring the part where she'd said Remus was merely lusting for Luna, everything else she had said was completely true.

It was wrong, they had lied to everyone, hurt so many, and Luna was too young, younger than even Nymphadora had been, technically underage when this had all started.

It was disgusting.

That's what Andromeda had said, wasn't it? Disgusting.

Remus groaned as the faces of so many loved ones flashed in his mind's eye. The utter shock on Hermione and Ginny's faces, the anger in Molly and Andromeda, the disappointment in Arthur, the hurt in Harry. In one fell swoop he had ruined so much of the good that he had.

It was all his fault for not having kept his hormones in check and letting himself feel for Luna.

Luna.

Her face was burning the brightest of all in his mind. No one blamed her of course. Luna was only a young girl, not even out of Hogwarts yet, seduced by a raggedy old werewolf who was supposed to have been protecting and teaching her all these months, not falling in love and sleeping with her. It hurt him to have seen the pain on Luna's face, the guilt of having lied to all their friends and the hurt at their reactions when they found out. The tears in her eyes spilling over as everyone around her that she loved shouted in anger and shock.

It was all his fault.

Luna didn't deserve that.

He didn't deserve Luna.

There was a pop outside in the hallway and before her scent even had a chance to permeate through the wood and to his nose, there was urgent knocking against it.

"Remus, Remus open the door."

Remus stilled, considering his options, considering what he knew he had to do.

Slowly, Remus stood and made his way to the door, not bothering to turn on the light. The moon's shine enough to illuminate just enough so that they could speak comfortably but not so much so that Luna would see the pain on his face.

Remus opened the door, and much like that first night on New Year's Eve she rushed inside, not even waiting for him to speak before she began talking.

"Remus, just forget everything that's just happened. They didn't mean any of it. They're just surprised, shocked, that's all. Like Bill was when he first found out, do you remember when Bill first found out? He was upset but then he was able to move past it and we're all friends again, better friends. That's exactly what's going to happen, Remus."

Remus closed the door slowly and turned to look at the younger girl. She almost reminded him of her when she was in her second year, all wide-eyed and wild hair all about. This Luna was different now though, this versions had eyes that were wide with desperation and fear, not wonder and dreams.

This Luna was scared.

"Luna," Remus said quietly, but Luna would not listen.

"They just need some time. Everyone needs some time to calm down and relax and think again, just like Bill, remember. Things were weird for a few days but he got over it and they will too. They just didn't expect to find out like that that, it was a shock that's all. We'll give them a few days to calm down and then we'll talk to them, one by one. I'll talk to them! I'll explain everything and tell them that you love me and I love you and things have been so good between us and they're going to stay good. Things are going to stay good. Alright, Remus?"

Luna stepped closer to him and Remus felt numb as she cupped his face with her small, warm hands and pulled him down closer to her. "I love you Remus. Everything's going to be good."

Luna stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to Remus'. She was so warm and sweet against his lips, she was radiating warmth and love.

It was the hardest thing in the world for Remus to place his hands over Luna's, gently pull her hands of his face and pull away from her lips.

Luna stared up at him, her eyes wide and shinning and he tried to put as much comfort in his soft smile to her. "Who are we kidding Luna? Things aren't going to be good. They haven't been good for some time now."

Luna froze in his hands, her eyes growing impossibly larger as she processed what Remus had just said. "What are you saying?"

Remus felt his heart clench as he let her go and stepped away. "Do you think Andromeda will ever understand? Or Molly, or Arthur, or Harry, or anyone for that matter? Do you think the Daily Prophet will be so forgiving of an old raggedy werewolf taking up with a beautiful young thing who has the whole world ahead of her? It was silly of us to think that this could last."

Luna's bottom lip trembled and he could see her face falling as the tears finally spilled from her eyes. "How could you care so much what other people say about you?"

Remus shook his head. "Not me. You."

Luna eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"They hate me now Luna. You saw the way they looked at me. I won't have them looking at you the same way for being with me. They won't relax unless we're not together and I won't have you lose everything you have."

Now Luna's eyes were beginning to narrow in anger. "I don't care what other people think about me Remus! I never have! I'm telling you that they will calm down and then they will understand, and whoever doesn't wasn't worth being our friend anyway. I'm not letting what other people think of me or you or us get in the way of doing what I want and I want to be with you."

"I _am_ letting it stop this."

Remus did his best to remain set on his word as Luna whispered, "Less than an hour ago you were telling me how much you loved me."

"Less than an hour ago you were wanting everyone to know about us, hoping that it would make everything perfect. Now everyone knows and it's not and it was never going to be."

Remus stepped closer and allowed himself to plant one last, soft kiss on Luna's forehead, right over the line of the fine hairs that shaped her eyebrows. "I love you, completely, but we can't keep pretending."

Remus heard Luna's breath catch. "So that's it then. You're going to let all this fall apart."

Remus controlled his features and stood taller. "This is it Luna."

Luna had never looked this heartbroken in all the time that he had known her, barring the day he'd carried her back to Hogwarts castle the day of the final battle.

He watched Luna's eyes fill with tears before she wiped them away angrily and left his flat, leaving nothing but a eucalyptus scent in the air.

Remus stood still for some time, thinking about all that had just occurred in just the past hour before he made his way to his bed and lay down. He wiped at his own eyes and went to sleep.

oOo

Luna apparated into Shell Cottage's living room where Bill and Fleur where still waiting for her, the couple gasping and moving towards her, catching her as she collapsed to her knees.

Luna was gasping for air through her sobs as Fleur held her, the younger girl clutching her heart.

oOo

 _Author's Note: I know, I know, there's a lot going on. Express your thoughts and constructive criticisms as you wish. Also, there'll be a small change in POV for the majority of next chapter! Can you guess who it will be?_


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Note: Hello all, I need to add in a little disclaimer. Be warned that I have been very busy these past few weeks and will continue to be very busy until early May, so chapters may be coming in a little slower and perhaps with a few more writing errors than usual. That being said, I'm not really proud of the last little section of this chapter, but if I'm being honest I'm really exhausted and simply can't find the energy to edit and improve it, so I'm just going to leave it as is and hope you don't mind. I promise next chapter will be better._

 _Also, Lavendor Queen brought up a good point in her review of last chapter, and that is the topic of contraception in this story, so here goes my public service announcement. ALWAYS use contraception unless both participants' intentions are to have a child! My not having included what type of contraception Luna and Remus are using or if they are even using any is due simply to my own oversight as a writer. In my mind, they_ are _using contraception, it's just my own fault that I haven't mentioned it. But again, ALWAYS use contraception unless both participants' intentions are to have a child!_

 _Now, enough of me. Enjoy the chapter!_

oOo

A week had passed and Luna had barely left her room. She had become very familiar with the way the moon's light cast shadows in this room of Shell Cottage. This was room that she had been kept in as refuge after she had been rescued from Malfoy Manor. This was the room where Remus had touched her intimately for the very first time.

It was in this room that she had also become familiar with the ache in her heart and the turmoil in her mind.

She was actually supposed to have been at Hogwarts this morning taking her weekly exams, but Luna could not find the energy to attend there, not to mention that with all the immobility that she had displayed this past week, not once had she cracked open a book or worked on her homework.

She had even called in sick to work for two days before finally finding the strength to drag herself to work, her movements almost mechanical the entire time.

Luna had spent the past few days in bed, getting up only to go to work at Slugs and Jiggers before returning right back to her bed where there was beginning to create a natural dent in the mattress. Luna hardly spoke, hardly moved, and barely ate, only occasionally indulging Fleur who diligently brought up food for her every day.

Luna cringed inwardly when she thought of her actions earlier in the week. All the letters that she had sent Remus following their fallout, all returned to her unopened and with no response. The three separate occasions in which Luna had desperately made her way to Remus flat and knocked on his door, again to no response despite the strong morning air, grass, and plums she could smell on the other side, indicating that Remus was indeed on the other side of the door. He could smell her and likely hear in her voice that she was crying as she called his name, and still he did not answer her.

As ashamed as Luna was to admit it, Remus had broken her apart. Luna was not sure that a year ago she would have recognized this pitiful crying thing inhabiting the guest room at Shell Cottage. The poor, sad thing without any motivation or desire for anything but for a return to the way things had been.

She found herself constantly replaying the event of Ginny and Harry's engagement party over and over again in her mind.

Andromeda had made Luna feel terrible. Luna knew, logically, the Andromeda was a good woman who was still in turmoil over her only child's death and had taken that out on Remus and Luna, but still it hurt to see how the woman had stared at her and Remus with such anger and disgust. How their very friends and family had stared at them with such anger and disgust.

Luna found herself suddenly sorry that she had wanted Remus to tell all their friends about them and their relationship. She found herself wishing that she had never pressured Remus to do so.

Luna knew that she should not feel that way, that she should stand by her convictions of wanting to stop lying to their friends and family, to tell herself that it was not an unreasonable thing to ask of someone. Still, how she felt and what she would have wanted did not change what had happened and the way that it had happened. How she felt and what she wanted did not change the fact that she was almost certain Remus would have kept their relationship a secret for forever if he could. It didn't change the fact that Remus now refused to have anything to do with her even after all they had been through and him telling her he loved her.

Luna was tired. Her body was drained and tired and she knew she could not go on this way forever. Luna contemplated on the fact that during her first few years at Hogwarts, she had never imagined that her life would take her to where she was now.

With a little determination, the most Luna had showed in a week, and if Luna was being honest with herself, even longer than that, Luna sat up.

It was time for her to take charge again.

oOo

Bill watched his wife through the reflection of the mirror in their bedroom. Fleur was busy using her wand to spell her long blonde hair into a casual but intricate braid. She wore hardly any makeup and the light blue dress she wore did wonders for her eyes.

Fleur was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in the world, even while pregnant. Perhaps, even more so when she was pregnant.

He had no idea how he'd ever gotten so lucky as to be the object of her love and affections, the one she'd chosen to spend the rest of her life with when she could quite literally have anyone else in the world.

Fleur caught his eyes in the mirror then, noticing him watching her from where he stood by the bedroom door. Bill offered a smile to her which she returned without a second's hesitation.

Bill grinned and approached Fleur, hugging her from behind and inhaling the scent of her hair as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"How are you, love," Bill asked, his hand running gently over the swell of her belly.

Fleur sighed, leaning into him. "I'm well. A little tired, but well."

Both were silent for some time until Fleur asked the question that had been wandering in his mind all day as well.

"Do you think she's ready?"

Bill sighed. "Honestly, I'm not sure. But she has to get out of that room, Fleur."

"I know, but does it have to be in this way? I love your family Bill, our family, but they can be a lot sometimes."

Bill chuckled dryly. "Believe me, I know."

He, Fleur, and Luna were going to dinner at The Burrow tonight. It had only been two days since Luna had finally been coming downstairs for meals and to sit for some time with him and Fleur. If he was completely honest, having dinner at The Burrow probably would end up being a pain, but Molly Weasley had insisted.

Bill's mother had sent him a very long letter earlier that morning telling him that she felt so truly sorry for how Luna must be feeling at that moment after the huge argument that had occurred last week. She wanted to have dinner at The Burrow tonight and invite Luna so that the younger girl would know that she still had friends and family within the Weasleys.

Bill somehow doubted Remus had gotten such a letter from the Weasley matriarch.

Bill's blood boiled a little at the thought of Remus. He didn't know all the details of their break up, apart from it obviously having been spurred by what had happened at the engagement party. But he was angry with his friend, he was angry that it was because of him that Luna had spent the better part of the last week locked up in her room crying. Bill quickly pushed the thought aside. He was planning to deal with that later.

Luna had been in the kitchen when he'd received the letter and he'd felt obligated to tell her. He'd insisted that he had no problem declining the invitation and that they could have a small dinner at Shell Cottage just the three of them, but after a few moments of silent pondering Luna had announced that she wanted to attend.

Bill turned Fleur around in his arms so that he faced her, smiling gently at her worried face. "Whatever my family tries to pull tonight, you and I will be there to take care of Luna."

Fleur smiled and nodded, tilting her head up in invitation for Bill to place a kiss on her soft lips, which he did gladly.

oOo

Bill chewed slowly on the pot roast Molly had made for dinner that evening. The food was delicious, as it always was, but Bill still had some trouble swallowing it down.

Upon arrival at The Burrow, Molly had wrapped Luna in her arms and welcomed them graciously into her home, insisting that Luna sit by her. Other guests started trickling in including Percy, Harry, Hermione, George, and Charlie.

Remus was notably absent.

All had greeted each other properly and politely with smiles and hug, but there was a certain tension in the air that was undeniably caused by the events of the engagement party, which no one seemed too keen to discuss.

Bill greatly admired the poise and grace with which Luna was holding herself. He knew that had he been in her place, and he was sitting with the very people who had bemoaned his relationship and partner, well, he'd quite possibly be having a fit at the moment.

He supposed Luna was much better at keeping her cool, especially if everyone was making an effort to not mention what had happened.

Later that night, Bill would reflect that he should never have underestimated his mother.

"So Luna, what are your plans for after graduation?" Molly asked.

Luna chewed slowly. "I don't really have a plan to be honest. Keep working at Slug and Jiggers and figure out what I really want I suppose. I'm trying to sell The Quibbler. Neville's grandmother has expressed the most interest."

Ron snorted at that, which both Molly and Luna ignored.

"I very well might sell it to her," Luna shrugged.

Molly patted Luna's hand. "Well that's nice dear. It sounds like you have a few things in mind, and it sounds like you'll have a lot of free time as you figure things out and you won't be so distracted by The Quibbler and by school work."

Luna nodded. "That's true."

"George, hadn't you mentioned that you were looking to take someone on at the shop?"

Bill froze, his eyes darting up to look at Molly who was smiling innocently back and forth at George and Luna. Bill had known his mother long enough to know that her smile was anything but innocent.

George had known his mother long enough as well and seemed to take great care in his response. "I might have mentioned something like that in passing once."

"Well that seems like a right fit there doesn't it?" Molly's dark eyes were twinkling. "Luna has some free time and George needs some help at the shop. And Fleur dear, didn't you mention Luna planned to move out after the baby was born? I know George has a few extra rooms above the shop."

"Mum," Bill cut in here now in warning, suspecting what his mother was trying to do here. Judging by the pink tinge on George's cheeks and the furrowed eyebrows of Luna, the two younger people in question were very suspicious as well.

Bill was having a difficult time keeping his rising anger in check at his mother's audacity.

"I'm just saying it seems like a good idea, makes sense," Molly shrugged.

"Mum," George croaked. Everyone else at the table was beginning to look uncomfortable as well with where the conversation was headed.

"What? Is it so wrong for two young noble, smart, and honest people together to grow from each other? Perhaps something wonderful could develop," Molly suggested in that innocent tone of hers again.

Arthur tried to cut in here, "Molly, maybe –"

"Remus is noble and smart and honest," Bill said lowly before he could stop himself.

Everyone's breath seemed to catch at the table after Bill spoke, all but Luna who looked over at him, a grateful look in her eyes at what he'd just said.

Molly, on the other hand, was staring at her eldest son with narrowed eyes. She seemed to challenge Bill as she spoke, "You and I and everyone at this table all know that Remus took advantage of a young and innocent girl and then kept it a secret because he also knew how wrong it is."

Bill loved his mother, but if there was one thing that bothered him about her, it was the woman's occasional impossibly narrow way of thinking that allowed for no grey areas.

Bill kept his face steady as he spoke, "No, Remus fell in love with Luna, as she did with him and spent months trying to ignore his feelings before giving in and since then he's done nothing but love her, care for her, and protect her."

Molly was no longer able to maintain her steady voice as she slammed her fork down and shouted, "He should have kept those feelings to himself! It is wrong what he felt!"

Luna hiccupped and all eyes turned to the blonde as she placed her hand over her mouth, her dark blue eyes brimming with tears. Bill's chest hurt as he watched her stand up and run out of The Burrow.

"Luna," Fleur gasped and after exchanging a quick nod with her husband and a glare at the rest of the table, the Frenchwoman slowly followed after her.

Bill noted how George sat back in his seat, apparently having been halfway out of his seat as if to follow after Luna after she had cried out. The younger Weasley now sat, a worried frown on his face. Bill had no time to think much more on it however as he focused on his mother once more who for a moment had looked somewhat guilty at having upset Luna, but now looked on at him sternly.

Molly seemed to erupt as she scolded, "How dare you bring him up at this table Billius Weasley? After all that pain that man has caused!"

The room was still, as if everyone was holding their breath, but Bill was not too scared to continue on. He, of all his siblings, had had the most rows with their mother after all.

Bill shook his head, unable to believe how much his mother was willing to maintain her anger.

"Any pain that you think Remus has caused is only being felt because of others' small-mindedness. In fact, no one is entitled to be feeling any pain aside from Remus and Luna because they are the ones who should be feeling it as it seems no one whom they thought cared for them can accept that they love each other."

Molly's face was red with anger as she screeched, "Bill, I can't believe you're defending him."

"I can't believe you're really trying to set Luna and George up only a week after everything's that happened and everything you've said to Remus," Bill shot back.

Bill felt sympathy for George when he noticed his younger brother shrink in his chair, no doubt feeling guilt for what Bill suspected was his crush he'd recently developed for Luna, and probably for the embarrassment he'd likely felt at their mother trying to set him up with Luna after the engagement party.

Bill shook his head, continuing on. "Actually, what's really difficult to believe is how you and almost everyone at this table has treated Remus and now apparently ostracized. Or am I to believe his invitation to this dinner got lost in the post?"

"Son," Arthur tried.

Molly, however, had no problem with admitting tersely, "He wasn't invited."

Bill scoffed. "Of course, so now Remus is no longer part of this family now? Is he no longer our friend who risked has lost so much and risked his life to fight alongside us and done nothing wrong? Is he even invited to the wedding anymore?"

At this Ginny and Harry looked guiltily at their plates, Harry's shoulders shaking a little as he tried to contain his own anger.

Bill looked around at everyone at the table, most of whom were concentrating far too hard on their plates to look at him.

"Did we not just fight a bloody fucking war for love?"

That seemed to strike a cord in Harry who finally looked up, the younger man's twisted in pain as he croaked, "He lied Bill."

Bill had a difficult time not rolling his eyes at the younger man, no matter how much he respected him.

"I know he lied, but other than that he's done nothing wrong. He lied because he didn't want you all to think poorly of Luna for loving an older werewolf with limited fund. He lied to protect her. He lied because he was afraid you would all hate him for loving someone different from him. If I'm not mistaken, we just fought a war so that there would be a little less hate in the world, especially hate for love. That's all that you're all doing right now by treating Remus this way."

Bill looked around at all the guilty expressions at the table, noting also how his mother, albeit still appearing angry, was no longer so red.

Bill felt he'd said enough and stood. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll be leaving now. I'm afraid I've lost my appetite."

The room was silent as Bill pushed his chair back and made his way out of The Burrow. Bill was nearly to the Weasley home's apparition point when he heard his name be called. Bill stopped and turned to see George running towards him, stopping before him and struggling to catch his breath before he spoke.

"Bill, I- everything you said in there was absolutely true," George said.

Bill put his hand comfortingly on George's shoulder, not forgetting the fact that he'd not once heard George say an ill word of Remus even during the engagement party. "Glad you think so little brother," Bill said.

George's eyes looked nearly desperate as she spoke in a rush, "Will you let Luna know that I had nothing to do with what mum said about the shop? Will you? I swear I had no idea that mum was going to suggest something like that at all."

Bill smiled at George, that familiar feeling of pride of his brother as he nodded, "I'll be sure to tell her."

George looked almost relieved before he nodded and with another smile at his brother, Bill went the rest of the way to the apparition point and headed to Shell Cottage.

When Bill entered the cottage he found both Fleur and Luna sitting on the couch, Fleur's arm wrapped around Luna's shoulders.

Bill frowned at the sight and immediately moved forward to sit on Luna's other side, a pang in his heart at seeing someone he considered family to be in pain.

"Luna I'm so sorry for how everyone behaved, it was not right at all," Bill told her. "My mother should have never pulled something like that on you, or George. He had no idea by the way."

Luna sniffed wiping at her cheeks, "I figured he didn't. George was one of the few who didn't look absolutely angry that night at the engagement party."

Fleur nodded, "George has a good heart."

"I know my mother can say things out of turn when she's angry Luna, but believe me, this will all blow over. They just care so much about you," Bill tried to comfort Luna, as difficult it was for him to voice his excuses for his mother.

Luna nodded, "I know, I know they care. It's what makes it impossible for me to blame them or even be completely mad at them. I just-It's difficult still to hear anyone speak badly of Remus. He doesn't deserve it."

Bill frowned at the mention of Remus and how forgiving Luna was. "Have you heard from him at all?"

Luna looked up at him and the tears began welling in her eyes again as she shook her head, her wispy blonde hair shaking at the motion.

Bill could feel the familiar welling of anger inside of him at Luna's response. As much as he still considered Remus a dear friend and as much as he would defend him to anyone who spoke ill of him, he couldn't help but think what a complete ass the older werewolf had been in handling everything with Luna since the engagement.

"Give it time Luna. I'm not saying that he'd handling this at all right, but do understand that this must be very difficult for him as well. He's basically been cut off from everyone he cares about," Fleur said gently, her hand stroking Luna's hair.

"Have you two heard from him at all?"

Fleur gave Bill a significant look and the redhead nodded, remembering a conversation that they'd had weeks ago before all this mess had started.

"No we haven't, but we were going to go by his flat soon to check in and see how he is…and to ask him a question," Bill said carefully.

Luna's stared at Bill questioningly, "What type of question?"

"A question we were going to ask you as well actually," Fleur piped in, gaining Luna's interest. Fleur's face turned gentle as she smiled warmly at Luna, "We wanted to ask you if you would be godmother to our baby."

Luna's eyes widened, tears for an entirely different reason spilling from them as she processed Fleur's words.

"Me?" Luna asked. "Are-Are you sure?"

Fleur smiled widely at Luna, "I think we've known for a while that you were the perfect choice Luna. We've considered you family for a long time already, now we can make it official."

Luna let out a sobbing laughter and leaned into Fleur's outstretched arms. Fleur laughed, "Can we take this to mean yes?"

"Yes! Of course! I would love to be godmother to your baby," Luna cried and Bill laughed, patting the younger woman on her back, trying to ignore how thin she felt beneath his hand.

"Shall we open a glass of wine then," Bill asked, eager to keep Luna laughing for the remainder of the night, or at the very least the next hour.

"I think we should," Fleur said for Luna, rubbing the girl gently on her back and then connecting her hand to Bill's.

Bill squeezed his wife's hand and smiled lovingly at her, eager to drink and be merry before he and Fleur went in search of Remus which would more than likely be a difficult if not tiring discussion.

oOo

"Shall we?"

Bill stared solemnly as he looked up at the flat his best mate lived in.

"Remember your promise not to yell," Fleur reminded, her lips brushing against his jaw reassuringly.

Bill scoffed and wrapped a reassuring arm around his wife, ever the mediator. "I remember."

Fleur took his hand and together they made their way up until they were standing outside and knocking on Remus' door.

"Come on, mate, we know you're in there," Bill spoke after a few minutes. He wasn't bluffing either. He and Fleur had checked in at Flourish and Blotts to be sure that Remus wouldn't be at work before they went to his flat.

When there was still no answer, Fleur's more dulcet tones rang, "Open the door Remus, please."

It seemed that Remus was not unlike other men in that he could not deny Fleur. Not two minutes after Fleur spoke did Remus finally opened the door.

It was not unlike Remus to look a little ragged and worn down, especially after a full moon, but the sight before him and Fleur was still unlike any one he had seen of his friend ever before.

Remus stood before them dressed in the oldest pajama bottoms known to man and a shirt he suspected had once been white nut was now gray and had more than one hole in it. Not to mention that Remus' stubble was longer than Bill had ever seen on the older werewolf in the entire time that he'd known him. He almost looked like a different person with his beginnings of a full grown beard.

"Wow, you look like shite mate," Bill said before he could stop himself.

Fleur elbowed him sharply in the ribs and glared at him before returning her gentle gaze to Remus, "Can we come in Remus?"

Remus blinked slowly at them for a moment before nodding and stepping aside for the couple to make their way into the flat.

Once inside Bill was quick to note the unkempt bed, the clothes strewn about the floor, the overflowing sink and plates of half-eaten meals sitting on the countertop, the table, and even on the stacks of books Remus kept on the floor against the walls.

Bill was surprised to discover that it seemed Remus was in a worse state than Luna.

"Are you two here to yell at me?" Remus asked, his voice raspy as if from disuse and Bill noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"What? No, we're here to-what happened Remus?" Bill asked, not even sure where to start.

His wife rolled her eyes at his lack of tact and cut in, "What Bill means to say is that we've come to check on you, see if you were alright. You haven't answered any of our owls, or Luna's for that matter."

Bill winced, the pain at Luna's mention clear for both he and Fleur to see. Remus sighed and sat on the edge of his bed, burying his face in his hands as he mumbled, "I'll admit I've been better."

"I'll say," Bill said quietly. "Remus, I don't know what you've been up to the past week or so but clearly it's not been anything productive. Have you left the flat at all?"

Remus shook his head.

"You can't go on like this mate, it's not healthy," Bill admonished.

"I know," Remus croaked. "I just-I haven't wanted to see anyone."

"We figured. Luna says not only have you not returned her owls but you didn't even open the door when she came to see you," Bill said, being sure to not let on how angry that fact made him.

"She's better off," Remus said quietly.

The anger was boiling again inside him and he was glad that Fleur spoke, "Luna's been in a terrible state as well Remus. You can't go on treating her this way, it's breaking her heart."

Remus shook his head, "Luna is young. She'll get over it and move on. It's what's best."

Fleur frowned at Bill before moving to sit beside Remus, her hand on his shoulder. "Luna is in love with you Remus. She has been this whole time. What's best for her is _you_."

"Were you not at the engagement party Fleur," Remus asked sharply. Bill noted how the older man seemed to struggle for breath before he went on, "This whole time I've been right. It would never work. No one will ever understand or allow Luna and I being together. They've already ostracized me and whose to say they won't do the same to Luna. I won't allow it. She has her whole life ahead of her."

"Remus have you learned nothing from being with Nymphadora? Luna doesn't care about any of that," Bill cut in.

"No one was this angry with me when I was with Dora. This is different," Remus said sadly.

"Remus, people _will_ come around. They just need some time. You have Luna and us, and even George. Others will begin coming around as well," Fleur tried.

"What if they don't," Remus asked helplessly.

"They will," Bill said with finality. "It may take time but they will."

All were silent for a moment before Fleur asked, "Will you make up with Luna then?"

For a while Bill thought Remus might not respond until he said, "I'm not sure that's what's best for her."

Bill couldn't help the exasperation in his voice as he said, "It's not up to you to decide what's best for her Remus."

Fleur on the other hand rose her head to Bill in warning before saying, "Well we didn't come here to tell you what to do Remus. We came because we wanted to make sure that you were alright."

Remus nodded and muttered a small thank you.

Fleur took a deep breath, "We've also come to ask something of you."

Remus narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the two.

Bill explained, "We've come to ask if you'll be the baby's godfather."

Remus blinked at Bill, completely shocked at the request. He even turned to look at Fleur as if for confirmation, the blonde only smiling and nodding at him in encouragement.

"I-I thought you were angry with me," Remus said.

"Oh I am, but you being a complete idiot in the romance department doesn't mean that you haven't been a good friend to Fleur and I, and there's no one else we would want to be the godfather to our child," Bill explained.

"Please say yes Remus. Luna's already said yes," Fleur said, placing her hand on Remus'.

"Luna?" Remus croaked again.

Bill nodded, "We've asked her to be godmother."

Remus narrowed his eyes again at them both, "If this is some trick to try and get me and Luna back together-"

"It's no trick Remus," Fleur cut in sincerely. "We care for you dearly. We want you to be officially part of our family, no matter if the rest of the family is upset and confused right now. We wouldn't be asking if we didn't truly love you. We want you to be the godfather to our child. We wouldn't trust anyone else."

Bill was polite in turning away for a moment as Remus' eyes filled with tears and the man wiped at his cheeks.

"I-I" finally Remus nodded his acceptance and Fleur cheered, wrapping her arms around Remus and kissing his cheek.

Bill stepped forward and clasped Remus in his own brotherly hug.

"I know it may be too soon for you to come to the cottage, but could we come by again in a few days for dinner? Just Bill and I," Fleur asked.

Remus looked almost embarrassed that Fleur had to make such accommodations for him but he nodded his agreement.

"Wonderful, I'll cook steak, your favorite," Fleur smiled.

"Thank you Fleur," Remus nodded.

"Well, we must be going now, I can't be out too much in this cold," Fleur said.

Remus nodded and they all exchanged hugs again. As Remus walked them to the door Bill clasped his hand on Remus' cheek. "Get back to work Remus, go out. You can't stay cooped up in this room."

Remus nodded tiredly, "I know. I will."

Bill nodded at him, knowing there was little else he could say that Remus would listen to. As he and Fleur turned around to make their way down the hall, Bill shouted over his shoulder, "And shave the beard mate, it doesn't suit you!"

Bill was too busy chuckling to hear the explicative Remus called him.

oOo

Luna could smell Hermione and Ginny the moment they knocked on Shell Cottage's front door. Upstairs in her bedroom, halfheartedly flipping through all the parchments of homework she had missed, Luna could barely even find the energy to congratulate herself on how far her sense of smell had gone over the past few months. It was difficult for her to think of anything related to her lycanthropy as those trains of thoughts always ended up leading to the one werewolf she was trying desperately to get out of her head.

 _He'll come around._

Luna still remained unconvinced and instead diverted her attentions to her school mates who had come by to visit, wondering what their purpose there was.

Luna was unsurprised to hear the two girls ask Fleur if she was home and not more than a few minutes later, a heavily pregnant Fleur was knocking on her door, asking her if she was up to seeing Hermione and Ginny who'd come to visit her.

"Only if you want to though Luna, I'm sure they would understand if you didn't want to see anyone today," Fleur reminded her gently.

Luna smiled at Fleur, "No it's alright. They can come up."

Fleur seemed uncertain at first before she settled on a smile and nodded, turning around to go back down and send Hermione and Ginny back up.

There was a light knock on the door before Hermione and Ginny peeked their heads in the room, their eyes wide and concerned.

"Come in, you don't have to be shy," Luna told them from her perch on her bed.

Luna noted Hermione looked distinctly uncomfortable as the two girls sat on the opposite end of the bed.

"So we wanted to come by and see how you were doing," Ginny started, her green eyes kind.

Hermione nodded, "And also, we wanted to apologize."

Luna's eyebrows furrowed, "Apologize for what, you've done nothing wrong?"

Ginny and Hermione shared a glance, before Hermione continued. "Well, I suppose we wanted to apologize for not having reached out earlier to you and seeing if you were alright I suppose. We should have gone to you earlier to see how you are."

"I also wanted to apologize on behalf of my family," Ginny said. "They were so awful, I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that Luna."

Luna shrugged, "It wasn't you. And besides, you're both here now. That means more to me than you could know."

Both girls smiled, glad to hear that their friend was so forgiving as always and not quick to judge or cast others out.

"You forgive us then," Hermione asked.

"There was nothing to forgive," Luna smiled simply.

"We've been so worried Luna," Ginny said then. "Remus looked so upset that day of the engagement party, no one has seen him since. Not that too many have tried to reach out to him."

Ginny said this last bit with a slightly darker tone to her voice.

Hermione nodded, "And dinner at The Burrow, no one was sure whether or not they should reach out to you or if it would make you more upset. Fleur's been letting everyone know that you're alright though."

"How is everyone," Luna asked. "Molly? Harry?"

"Harry feels terrible Luna," Ginny insisted. "I tried to get him to come with us today but he thought it would be best if just Hermione and I came today. He'll come by soon though. He feels really awful about how he's acted. I think it was just the shock of it all. He just needed some time to get over the shock."

That piqued Luna's interest and she couldn't help but ask, "So he's alright with Remus and I?"

Ginny shrugged, "I think it'll take him a little time to get used to it, but I think what Bill said at dinner the other night really hit him to heart. He's not proud of how he's behaved."

"How's Remus handling all this," Hermione asked. "I'm sure it hasn't been easy."

Here it was difficult for Luna to stop her eyes welling with tears. "I wouldn't know. He hasn't spoken to me since the night of the engagement party."

"'Oh Luna," Ginny said sympathetically, reaching out for Luna's hand and holding it between her own. "What happened?"

Luna wiped at her cheeks and shook her head, "He's ashamed, he always has been even from the beginning. He was always so worried about people finding out about us and what they would think. We almost didn't even have a beginning because of his fears, and now that everyone knows it's all turned out to be exactly what he was afraid of and now he's staying away. He's talked with Bill and Fleur but he hasn't spoken to me."

"What," Hermione asked, the outrage clear in her voice at her ex-professor's actions. "Doesn't he know that's not the way to handle things? He can't treat you like that."

Luna shrugged, "I'm not even sure that I can blame him. He was right this entire time, everything that he was afraid would happen, happened. And because of it, I don't think he wants anything to do with me."

"You love him." Ginny stated it as a fact.

"Completely," Luna said without a doubt, the same as she had the night of the engagement party.

"He'll come around Luna, you'll see. If Remus truly loves you, he won't stay away for long. Harry didn't with me," Ginny said in an effort to make Luna feel better. The blonde however, was not all too sure that Ginny's words were producing the desired effect.

oOo

 _Author's Note: Wow, so that was a lot of Bill and Luna and only a little glimpse at how Remus appears to be taking this entire situation. Keep an eye out for next chapter where you'll get a more in-depth look at how Remus is really dealing with all this._


	17. Chapter 17

Hello everybody! Let me just begin by offering a most heartfelt apology for not having updated since March! I feel absolutely awful! When I first decided to give writing for fanfiction a shot, one of the first things I told myself was that I would not be like those authors who take months to update and are inconsistent with their posting. And now here I am not posting for nearly six months! I am so truly sorry!

I honestly haven't forgotten about this story or any of you. I sincerely just got so busy with the end of term and it being my last year at university (officially a college graduate by the way! woop woop!), then graduation vacation, and then having been working full time this whole summer since then, I've just been crazy busy. With summer winding down and going back to part-time in the following weeks, I'm hoping things will be settling down soon and I'll have a little more time for writing.

I just want to thank everyone in advance who decides to continue following along with this story and to those of you who turned on notifications during my hiatus even after seeing I hadn't posted since March! I truly appreciate it! As a special treat to try and marginally make up for the silence these past six months, I'll be posting two chapters today, so keep an eye out for chapter 18 within the next few hours!

So without further ado, I won't take up anymore of your time! Enjoy!

17

Remus gasped to wakefulness, his hands clutching at the sheets by his heaving sides as he struggled for breath. His nerves felt overly sensitized and on edge, as if he has just come back from a running a race with Bill and not just woken up from sleep, even if it had clearly been a fitful sleep. Remus was uncomfortably aware of the sheen of sweat on his body as his sheets stuck to his skin. Remus's eyes were wild as he searched the room he was in, as if it was not the same room he had been waking up in since before the war had ended.

Remus sighed and tried to still the trembling of his hands as he brought them up to cover his face, his eyes shut tight as inexplicable wetness threatened to spill over.

Remus knew part of the reason he was so fitful was that the full moon was coming in just two days. His body was hypersensitive and on high-alert, as it always was in the days leading up to the full moon. Remus knew however, that this month most of it all could be attributed to the thoughts plaguing him concerning the Weasley family, Andromeda, Harry, his friends and colleagues, and of course the woman he was certain by now must hate him beyond belief.

Thoughts of Luna brought to mind little snippets of a dream he must have had the night before. He remembered running and the smell of earth, trees, The Burrow, and moonlight hair that could belong to no other than the witch whom he used to be able to call his. The rest of the dream was escaping him however, as most dreams were at risk to do.

 _I wonder how she is._

Remus wondered the same as he lay there, his hands serving to shield him from the new day for a little while longer until his arms became tired and he let them slip from his face. One quick review of the room and glance at his window told him that it was still early, daybreak not far away. It was his day off, so usually he would be happy in that he had a couple extra hours to sleep in a little. Today was not such a day however.

Remus was too rattled to go back to sleep, and nervous that if he somehow managed it, he would only slip back into the dream that had startled him so awake in the first place.

With a tired groan Remus forced his body to sit up and decided that at the very least if he couldn't go back to sleep, he might as well try and be productive. It beat lying in bed all morning and letting his mind wander and wonder about things he didn't want to think about lest he become so depressed he remain in his bed for the rest of his life.

Remus went to his kitchen and put the kettle on, waiting listlessly against his counter as he waited for it to be ready to make himself a cup of coffee.

Once Remus had had his first sip of the day he felt only marginally better and retreated to his desk, the wooden surface completely littered with sheets on sheets of parchment, the majority of which were nearly entirely black with all the writing they contained.

Remus riffled through the sheets, part of him still disbelieving that he had actually written everything that was on the parchment. Years ago he had thought of pursuing writing. It was only natural after all that his love of books and reading would interest him in the idea. He had just never considered that he could be a writer, or that he should even try when he considered all the prejudice and walls and hoops that he would have to go through to even get a meeting with a publisher willing to even consider his work. It wasn't until Luna had pointed out that times were different now after the war, or at least better, that now the idea didn't seem quite so far-fetched. Probably still long and difficult, but now at least attainable. He began to consider his own merit as a teacher and a werewolf and his unique position in that he could combine the two to create a book about werewolves. This too was something that would not have occurred to him if it hadn't been for Luna and his teaching her about being a werewolf.

Remus frowned and quickly shook those thoughts away. Instead he decided to pick up his quill and begin working diligently on his draft, as he had been nearly every day since things had fallen apart with Luna.

By the time Remus' hunger pains were too intense for him to ignore any longer, he realized that the sun had just set and it was nearly seven in the evening.

Remus stood, shaking out his numb legs and stretching, cracking his back. In the kitchen he made himself a measly dinner of what few food products he had left in his fridge and made a note to go out soon so he could resupply his fridge.

Remus showered, wrapped a towel around his waist, and finally shaved the beard Bill had told him didn't suit him. As Remus was rummaging for clothes to change into for bed, Remus noticed a very familiar pair of Gryffindor red pajamas sitting at the bottom of one of his cupboards, the nicest pair he had ever owned.

 _You're a fool if you're still surprised that your heart still skips a beat whenever you see something that reminds you of her. You're in love with her. There's always going to be something that reminds you of her, no matter how hard you try to distract yourself with that book._

Remus growled in annoyance at his wolf.

He'd been mostly silent since Remus had ended things with Luna, but there were moments like this when the wolf would rear its ugly head up and remind him that he was the stupidest man in the entire world for ever letting Luna go.

Remus slammed the cupboard shut and fell back on his bed, still clad only in a towel but too upset to look for an alternate pair of pajamas.

The more the wolf made his opinions known, the more Remus couldn't help but agree.

But what choice did he have?

He was standing in self-made turmoil, and he wasn't sure to get out of it.

oOo

"Is she alright?"

Bill was unsure how to answer his wife's question.

"She's trying to be."

"She's been in there all day. How many times can she possibly re-arrange that room?" Fleur sighed, her eyes trained on the ceiling above them. Bill wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to as he too listened to the sounds of Luna upstairs pushing her bed across her bedroom for the ninth time that morning.

"She's nervous about the full moon coming up. It'll be her first one in a long time without Remus there," Bill said quietly, nearly hissing Remus' name. He adored Remus and he was quite possibly his best mate, and though he'd found it in himself to remove himself from the situation and still want Remus to be his child's godfather, it didn't mean he'd forgotten how Luna was dealing with the backlash.

"So you really don't think Remus will show up, for Luna. Even on the full moon?" Fleur asked, dismay in her voice, though Bill was sure Fleur knew the answer to that.

"No, I don't think he will. He's too proud, too set on his own ridiculous idea of self-ostracization," Bill admitted.

"I feel terrible. I think Luna is secretly hoping Remus will show up tonight. I don't know what's going to happen when he doesn't," Fleur said quietly, the worry evident in her voice.

"Try not to worry darling. She'll have us."

"You know it's not the same."

"Yes, I know," Bill conceded.

There was a bang upstairs a few steps on the stairwell and soon Luna was downstairs standing before them, tall and thin and nearly drowning in her main of wild blonde hair.

"Shall I make dinner?" Luna asked, only slightly out of breath and with a pink tinge to her cheeks from moving around all her furniture.

"Uhm, you don't have to, really. We can go out," Fleur said nervously.

"No it's fine, I'm not at all tired," Luna said in her dreamy voice, but still a slight craze in her crystal blue eyes. "What are you craving? Pasta? Steak and eggs? Something sweet? You know what, I'll just make a little of everything."

With a flurry, Luna was off to the kitchen and soon instead of the sounds of furniture scraping across the floor, the sounds of kitchen pots and pans slamming could be heard.

Fleur turned sharply to Bill who sighed and slowly made his way over to the kitchen to help Luna and make sure she didn't burn the house down.

oOo

Luna rubbed her hands down her face as she lay in her bathwater. Her fingers were like prunes, although that was to be expected after spending nearly two hours in the bath. Not that it had helped a lot. She wasn't any more relaxed than she had been when she had first gone into the bathtub.

This was the first time Remus' advice of a hot bath before the full moon hadn't worked.

As much as she was afraid to admit, Luna was beginning to think that it wasn't so much the baths that helped her relax during full moon nights as the assurance that Remus would be down by the shore waiting for her, ready to be by her side the whole night.

Luna's bottom lip quivered a little as she thought of Remus.

Weeks had passed now since Luna had so much as been allowed to lay eyes on Remus. She missed him, Merlin she missed him, but in a strange way, she had almost become familiar with going so long without seeing him.

The closer she had come to the night of the full moon though, her heart had begun to speak up without permission, whispering far-reaching possibilities of what might happen on the night of the full moon.

She had thought that maybe, just maybe of all nights if any, that Remus would come to her at shell Cottage. Even if he didn't speak so much as a word to her, she couldn't help but hope that maybe just maybe he would be here.

As the hours slowly dragged by closer and closer to sundown however, that possibility seemed less and less likely.

There was only half an hour left until sundown, and soon Luna would have to make her way out of the bath and go down to the shore.

There was a knock at the door and Luna quietly spoke her permission for Fleur to enter.

Fleur came into the bathroom and quietly sat down on the little stool beside Luna.

Fleur was about to say something, perhaps suggest that they begin start making their way down, but Luna interrupted her.

"Do you think he'll come?"

Fleur didn't have to look over to Fleur to know the older woman was frowning in poorly concealed pity.

"I don't know. I'm sure he wants to." Fleur reassured uncertainly.

"It won't mean anything if he doesn't come," Luna stated.

There was an awkward pause before Fleur asked, "What exactly do you mean Luna?"

"Nothing." Luna shook her head and began to stand, "Come on. I should start heading down."

Luna wrapped a robe around herself and with Fleur at her side she made her way down to the shore where Bill was finishing setting up the protective wards.

Fleur did not miss the falter in Luna's steps when they stepped outside and it was clear that Bill was the only one waiting for them at the beach shore.

Fleur was worried as she held onto Luna's arms for support. Even though she was holding her, Fleur could feel the younger girl pulling away and into herself.

She was worried that Luna was falling back into the strength of a fresh rejection.

Fleur felt a flash of anger at Remus for daring not to show up tonight of all night, but she quickly brushed it aside. As much as she thought Remus was acting stupidly, she and Bill had promised each other that they would do their best to stay as out of it as they could.

All she could do was support them both as best she could.

That night, Fleur and Bill stood by the kitchen window staring down at the beach, listening to Luna's wolf distant howl all night.

oOo

Luna groaned when she woke up the next morning, reaching up to wipe away the light layer of sand that had creeped over her naked body lying on the beach at the break of dawn.

Once Luna had wiped the sand and sleep away from her eyes, she sighed and opened them, staring up at the pale blue sky. It was lovely, a tease of what the rest of this April day might turn out to become. The sky did not at all reflect what Luna felt inside, waking up alone and sore from what she had endured during the night, all by herself.

Luna ignored the sole tear the sneaked from her left eye as she thought back to that ridiculously stupid spark of hope she had held out last night in the minutes leading up to the full moon's rise. She remembered staring up at the hill that lead to Shell Cottage, the already-small piece of her heart that was without shame and still believed in Remus coming back to her promising that she would see his figure coming up the hill and smiling down at her. She had imagined Remus coming down to the beach, a comforting chuckle escaping his lips as he would tell assure that he would never leave her alone on full moon nights, no matter what else was happening in their lives.

The moon's painful pull had quickly dragged any other redeeming thoughts she might have had about Remus.

It became clear Remus had completely cut off all connection he had with her.

As Luna slowly willed her body to sit up, she told herself that it was time to move on, truly. She promised herself that she would no longer hold on to the part of her that still held out hope that Remus would come back to her.

oOo

Remus winced as his foot caught on a space between the bricks that paved the way of Diagon Alley. Remus was exhausted, and he'd much rather be anywhere than the busiest street of wizarding London, but he was desperate. He'd neglected to do his grocery shopping before the full moon then it had arrived, he slept for two nights straight and woke up ravenous with absolutely nothing in his refrigerator to ease the hunger.

So he'd pulled his thin rags on and forced himself to go out and purchase some much-needed food.

It was in his deliriously tired and hungry state that saw Remus not truly looking where he was walking and bumping into an all too familiar blonde-haired witch.

Remus felt his heart stop and his breath catch as he clutched his bags and stared at Luna who was staring equally wide-eyed at him.

She was beautiful. Merlin she was beautiful it nearly hurt. Remus couldn't stop the barrage of memories streaming through his mind's eye as he stared at Luna.

Memories of sitting amongst the beach grass at night exchanging a book on werewolves, Luna's cheek against his naked back as they stood at the shore, Luna in a shimmery New Year's dress and holding her close on his couch, stolen kisses at Flourish and Blotts and Slug and Jiggers, and a flurry of other warm and yet painful memories.

Remus pulled himself out of his memories and gaped at Luna, his high on seeing her lowering as he read the emotions playing across Luna's face as she stared at him.

He saw the shock at seeing him, the hurt, then anger, and worst of all, the apathy.

"Luna," Remus said finally, unsure what else he could say.

"Remus," Luna returned. There was a guarded tone to Luna's voice that Remus was wary of. It was a tone he had never heard her use with him before, or anyone else for that matter.

"H-How are you," Remus asked, immediately regretting it when he saw Luna look at him like he was crazy for asking the very question. In hindsight, it was a rather ridiculous question.

Remus was beginning to think Luna would just ignore him and walk away, but finally she said tightly, "I'm fine." Then, likely out of politeness, "And yourself?"

"I've been better," the words escaped Remus before he had a chance a bite them back.

For a moment Remus thought he saw a hint of softness in Luna's eyes at his admission, but before he could be sure Luna had blinked it away and replaced it with a hardness he was unfamiliar with coming from her.

"So have I, but I suppose that's just the way things are now," Luna said quietly.

Remus' stammered, his bruised ego wanting to respond to Luna's dig at him and the events that had transpired between them, but also being painfully aware that nothing he could say would be justified.

 _That doesn't mean you can't try._

"I-It doesn't have to be this way," Remus blurted, not even quite sure himself where he meant to go with that statement.

Luna's thin blonde eyebrows furrowed in question, "How else could it possibly be?"

It was too late now. Remus had started a conversation he hadn't wished to start, and it was too late for him to run away.

 _Coward._

"It doesn't have to be this painful." This came from one of the most vulnerable places in Remus' heart, he was sure of it. What he wasn't sure of was what had possessed him to voice aloud this wish of his, for the past to remain past and no longer have the ability to hurt him.

Luna did not seem to appreciate Remus' words, for he could see her cheeks flushing with unmistakable signs of anger.

There was disbelief in Luna's voice as she hissed, "You wish that this wouldn't be so painful? You made it so that this is the only way it could be!"

Remus' chest was tightening far too painfully for him to notice how the shoppers in Diagon Alley had begun turning towards Luna and him as they passed, intrigued by what was clearly beginning to be a public standoff between two past lovers.

"L-Luna-"

"No! You don't get to say anything! You keep us a secret, because of your fears, I had to lie to my friends and loved ones, you gave me hope when you made me think we might tell everyone the truth soon, and then when they do find out you ostracize me! You let me fall and turned away and ignored me crying for you! You already decided for us how things are now, just how you decided everything else between us, and you don't get to complain about how things are now after you made it so that it had to be this way!"

Remus could feel the sting in the back of his eyes as he listened to Luna yell at him, the blonde's own eyes swimming with tears that she angrily wiped away.

"Luna please-"

Luna stomped towards him, moving so quickly her face was within a foot of his within seconds as she stared up at him, the anger and hurt even more visible for him to see.

"You know what's worse? I still cared about how you felt all this time? Even after weeks had gone by without so much as a whisper from you, I still defended your actions to myself and everyone else. I still didn't blame you, I still worried about you, I still thought that if I could just be patient enough that you would finally not care what anyone else thought and come back to me. After all those weeks, I still thought that you cared for me."

Remus choked over his words, "Luna, I do care for you still. I l-"

Luna was shaking and blew past his words without a wink, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's not until this past full moon and you weren't there, the one night I thought you might put everything else aside, even if it was just to be there next to me for a few hours overnight, I realized that maybe you really didn't care as much as you thought. Or at the very least, not enough."

Luna's words were like ice in Remus' heart. She was right about so much, but she was wrong for so much of it as well. "Luna, I swear I wanted to be there. I debated for hours and hours whether I should go to Shell Cottage that night, but I didn't because I didn't think you would want me there. I-"

Luna shrieked, interrupting Remus, her yell so loud that for a few moments all was still in Diagon Alley, witches and wizards alike pausing to stare at the arguing couple standing in the middle of foot traffic.

"Don't you dare turn this around on me Remus Lupin! All I have wanted was for you to be with me, through everything, so don't even try and pretend that I wouldn't want you there! But I'm done making excuses and I'm done waiting."

Luna inhaled shakily, and it seemed she was finally calming down.

Luna's eyes lowered to his chest, no longer making contact with his own as she whispered quietly, "You want to know why I think I can hear my wolf Remus? I'm not afraid of myself, and I'm not afraid of what I desire. My wolf and I are in sync. You aren't with yours because you fear what you most desire. Your wolf isn't there to haunt you Remus, it's there to help you be true to yourself and follow your own will. There's only so long you can keep ignoring your wolf Remus, you are your wolf, it's your soul. You should write _that_ in your book."

And with trembling shoulders, Luna turned around and slowly walked away, leaving Remus stunned and still in the middle of Diagon Alley, alone with his wolf.

oOo

Luna stared blearily out the kitchen window as she stood by the sink where she had been washing dishes the muggle way, though he hands had stilled in the process quite some time ago. She'd been staring out to the shore below, her mind distracted as it had been for the past few days.

There was only a month of school left, final exams were coming up right around the corner and soon she'd have get serious about studying and finishing up all her late assignments that had been slowly piling up in the past couple of weeks. It had been a hectic few weeks in Luna's life. It was difficult to imagine in that in about a month, she would be a graduating from Hogwarts. She would no longer be a student, but instead an adult in the wizarding world, expected to make her own way.

The prospect was daunting to Luna in a way she hadn't imagined it would be that first night rowing across the lake towards the castle during her first year, even a few months ago it was not such a heavy load on her mind and shoulders. Luna had been so distracted for the past few weeks with her relationship, life at Shell Cottage and with the Weasleys, and work that, as much as it hurt her Ravenclaw self to admit it, school had been one of the last things on her mind. It was not a far-fetched thought that her seventh and final year as a Hogwarts student would produce the worst marks she had ever received. If her housemates could see her now, they would be deeply ashamed of her.

School wasn't exactly something Luna particularly wanted to focus her attentions on, but with the swirl of emotions Luna had experienced over the past few weeks, schoolwork and studying seemed like safe territory to invest herself in.

"Have you heard?"

Luna blinked back to reality, her hands going back to their work of washing the dishes as she turned her head to smile at Fleur, "Heard what?"

Fleur wasn't looking at Luna, which already was a warning sign for Luna. Fleur's next words confirmed Luna's suspicions. "Ginny asked me if I would go with her and Harry to Remus'."

Luna looked away and tried to relax her suddenly stiff shoulders.

It had only been a few days since Luna's run-in with Remus in Diagon Alley, of which she had not breathed a word to anyone, much less Bill and Fleur, who she was sure in their hearts were still holding out hope that she and Remus would return to each other eventually.

There was a small pang in Luna's heart at the thought. It had been a few strange days for Luna, the aftershock of emotions coursing through her since she had yelled at Remus. A part of her felt free after having shared her peace, or rather, yelled it. What Luna had told Remus was all true. She had been hurt and in many ways betrayed by Remus, and she had suffered through it silently and it had felt good to have finally gotten it off her chest. It was cathartic in many ways.

Luna had rarely yelled at people over the course of her seventeen years. It was unlike her, and yet in this case exactly what she had needed. As shaky and lightheaded as she had felt immediately afterward her encounter with Remus, Luna had also felt a sense of relief at finally having said what she had been feeling since Remus had ended things with her.

And yet…

 _You still love him._

It was true. Even though all she had told Remus was true, a part of her, as much as she hated to admit it, a part of her still couldn't help but wonder how Remus was and what he thought. A part of her still worried she had hurt Remus, a part of her wondered if she had been too harsh with him, even after all he had done to her.

"Oh, what for?" Luna finally responded to Fleur's clear attempt to bring Remus up in the conversation.

"It seems Harry has finally moved on, or is at least trying to. He feels terrible you know. Ginny says Harry wants to personally invite Remus to their wedding."

"That's good, I'm glad Harry has turned a new leaf," Luna responded sincerely.

There was a short pause before Fleur finally asked what Luna was sure the frenchwoman had been dying to mention from the beginning. "They're planning to go by Remus' flat at the end of the week. I was wondering, would you maybe wants to go with us?"

Luna sighed quietly herself, her hands clutching tightly the soapy plates in her hands. "I'm not sure that's a good idea Fleur."

"Ugh."

Luna frowned. She knew Fleur could be an outspoken woman when she wanted to, but she hadn't been prone to being so vocal about her opposition in quite some time.

"Fleur?"

"Ahhh!"

Luna turned around and gasped quietly after seeing that her comments weren't the cause of Fleur's outcries. When Luna turned around, she was met with Fleur bent over in the kitchen doorway, one hand on the wall and the other clutching her rounded belly, a puddle of clear liquid on the floor at Fleur's feet.

Fleur slowly looked up at Luna, a look of fear and excitement on her beautiful face. "Luna, I need you to take me to St. Mungo's. It's time."

Luna couldn't help the grin growing on her face before quickly shaking herself into action.

Luna summoned Fleur's carefully packed hospital bag, packed weeks ago, and then held on tightly to Fleur's hand as they floed to St. Mungo's, Luna's hare patronus hopping off to Bill at work.

oOo


	18. Chapter 18

18

Remus apparated outside of St. Mungo's out of breath and with sweaty hands clutching a small bouquet of foxgloves and eucalyptus. His mouth felt inexplicably dry and there was a tightness in his limbs as he rushed inside and asked the nearest mediwitch the way to the delivery ward.

Remus had limited experience with births, his one and only close encounter having been when Lily had little Harry. Come to think of it, Harry was the only baby he had ever held in his arms. He had been just as inexplicably nervous back then as he was now, and he wasn't even the father for either occasion. The fact that Bill and Fleur thought him qualified to be their child's godfather when he hadn't so much as held a child in the last seventeen years was confusing and stressing.

Remus had been at Flourish and Blots, calmly arranging a new shipment of books onto their designated places on the shelves when Bill's patronus had appeared before him.

"It's happening Remus," Bill's voice came from his silver patronus, although the silver apparition's mouth remained sealed. "Fleur's gone into labor! Meet us at St. Mungos as soon as possible!"

There was a definite tone of both excitement and nerves in Bill's voice, and Remus had wasted no time in shouting rushed goodbye's and apologies to the shop-owner, promising to make up the hours at a later date.

Now that Remus was finally approaching the delivery ward, he had a moment to compose himself and prepare. It hadn't gone past his attention that he was likely soon to be met with a herd of Weasley's, the same Weasley's that had ostracized him only but a few weeks ago. Remus was unsure of what exactly he was walking into.

He knew the majority of the Weasley's likely were still very angry and disgusted with him. He was unsure if he was about to walk into outraged yelling and insults or if he was to be met with stubborn silence and avoidant glances. A small part of Remus hoped that the redheaded clan would be too busy fussing over Fleur being about to give birth to give him much more than a though. He also wished that he could just turn around and visit Bill and Fleur after their family had gone, but one he was sure at least one member of the Weasley's would be continuously present at the hospital to help the young couple, and two he was sure neither Bill or Fleur would forgive him for missing such an important moment in their lives, especially as the newly appointed godfather of their soon to be born child.

What's more, if Remus was completely honest as to why he was feeling so many nerves this day, it was because he was sure that a certain blonde-haired young woman would be present as well.

Remus felt a slew of emotions flow through him as he considered seeing Luna again, especially considering how thing had been left last time he had seen her during that loud encounter in Diagon Alley..

To state that Remus had acted like a complete arse was no understatement. He was furious and ashamed of himself for his behavior, and more than a little hurt by Luna's words. He'd never known Luna to be overcome with anger, and for it to be directed at him was both bruising and painful. It was an encounter he had replayed over and over again in his mind since it had occurred.

Luna had spoken many truths that day, truths that Remus knew and had not wanted to face but had been ultimately forced to after what had transpired that day. Remus had seen Luna in an upsetting state one too many times in the past few weeks, each of them caused by him. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but what was perhaps more upsetting was how every time Luna had mentioned how much he had hurt her and how much she'd cared for him, Luna had told him that she was done. She was done making excuses for him, as was her deserved right, but what's more, she was done caring for him.

It felt like a stab to the heart.

It had been weeks since Remus had ended things with Luna, weeks of closing himself off to the world and to Luna. It had been weeks of moping in his shame and self-hate and telling himself and Luna that it would be best for everyone and especially for Luna if they were no longer together.

Luna had disagreed with him and insisted he was wrong for so long, until a few days ago that is.

It seemed that finally, after weeks, Luna was finally doing as he had asked and was going to start moving on.

And it hurt nearly as much as it would have if she had been moving on without him even asking her to.

Remus had to stop and take a deep breath to center himself.

Today was about Bill and Fleur and the baby, not him or Luna or how much most of the Weasley's probably still hated him.

Remus sighed and straightened out the bouquet he had picked up on his way to St. Mungo's before delving in the delivery ward's waiting room, eventually coming to a whole clan of redheads and others who had basically set up camp in one area.

Remus would be lying if he said that his step hadn't faltered as he made way towards them.

It was a stroke of a blessing that one of the redheads belonged to Bill, who upon seeing Remus grinned and practically ran over to the werewolf.

"Remus!" Bill exclaimed happily, heading over to Remus. "You came!"

Remus grinned at the sight of his best friend, happily returning the embrace the younger man offered him.

"Of course I came, mate. You think I would miss this day? I'm a godfather now aren't I? How are you doing?"

"My nerves are shot Remus. My hands are clammy, my heart won't stop beating a hundred miles a minute I feel like I'm gonna pass out any minute, by either nerves or excitement I don't know yet," Bill said, running a nervous hands through his hair.

"I'm sure," Remus nodded, noting the circles under Bill's eyes and the state of his messy red hair. "I can only imagine how Fleur must be feeling. How is she?"

"She's doing great mate, she's strong. She still has a few hours left to go but she's doing wonderfully. I've only just left for a few minutes to let everyone know it might be a while," Bill explained.

"Everyone," Remus murmured quietly, his eyes straying over to everyone else in the waiting room in support of Bill and Fleur. Amongst them Remus saw all in the Weasley clan, Harry and Hermione, and some tall and attractive blondes Remus vaguely recognized as Fleur's parents and sister.

Remus immediately noted that while most in the crowd were in conversation, more than likely talking excitedly about Fleur's child, a couple eyes were focused on him, including Molly Weasley's and Harry's. For the moment however, all Remus could concentrate on was the fact that a certain blonde Remus both dreaded and was excited to see was missing.

"She's in the room with Fleur." Bill startled Remus, the werewolf having almost forgotten he was still there. Bill was staring at Remus with a coy smile, "She's keeping Fleur company while I come out here. She'll be out once I head back."

Remus was unsure how he should respond, so he decided to say nothing except nod. Bill didn't look upset with him, so Remus could only assume that Luna had neglected to share their encounter in Diagon Alley with Bill.

"Speaking of which, I really should be getting back," Bill said. "Thanks again, mate."

"Right, of course," Remus nodded, watching Bill head back to his wife.

With Bill gone, Remus steeled himself to face the others.

Remus took a deep breath and headed towards the others, his stomach fluttering with nerves. As he approached, more eyes turned to him and there was a sense in the air that there could possibly be a yet another standoff in Remus' life within one week.

All the Weasley's turned to him, and there was an uncomfortable tension in the air as Remus slowed, unsure whether he should speak first or just sit down. What could he say? Where should he sit?

Remus's eyes searched the huddle, noting the sympathetic look on Arthur Weasley's face, Harry's avoidant gaze, Molly's narrowed eyes and reddening face, the confused looks on the faces of Fleur's family.

Finally, "It's good to see you Remus."

Remus had never been so grateful to hear George Weasley's voice again.

The young redhead was smiling genuinely at Remus, approaching Remus and giving him a friendly embrace, as if no time had passed since Harry and Ginny's engagement party.

"H-Hello," Remus said, just barely managing to get ahold of himself to return George's hug.

"How are you," George smiled easily at him as he pulled away. "Crazy to think there's going to be a new Weasley running around. We haven't had a baby in the family in far too long. Bill's the first of us to have a child."

"L-looks like you'll be an uncle soon," Remus said, composing himself and managing to smile back at George.

"Looks that way," George laughed.

"We've missed you, Professor," Hermione said then, approaching and stretching her arms out for a hug.

Remus's heart warmed happily at being graced with a hug from the brightest witch of her age, Hermione who had always been so kind and forgiving.

"Likewise Hermione, truly" Remus told her, hoping no one heard the happy trembling in his voice.

"It's good to see you professor," Percy called from his seat beside Arthur, who Remus noted sent him a subtle nod and quirk of the lips.

Remus returned the nod, glad that for the moment Molly had turned away, apparently having decided to ignore Remus' presence.

"We're glad you're here," Ginny Weasley came over to the little huddle accumulating around Remus. Ginny wrapped her arms around Remus and discreetly whispered into his ear, "Even if we don't all quite know how to show it yet."

Remus looked over Ginny's shoulder to where Ron and Harry stood. Ron offered Remus a smile from where he stood. Harry's eyes kept darting back and forth between the floor and Remus, until finally the spectacled boy offered Remus a smile. It was less than what Remus would have hoped for, but Remus would take it.

"Shall we sit then," Hermione asked, smiling.

Remus nodded and let himself be led by these young, kind people who cared for him.

A memory flashed through Remus' mind, from many years ago in which Remus had felt similarly grateful to find himself surrounded by friends who cared for him. This moment reminded Remus of being surrounded by Lily, Wormtail, Moony, and Prongs the day after the full moon and they had discovered that Remus was a werewolf. They had showed him great kindness and love that day. Remus remembered thinking how lucky he was, to be surrounded by people who accepted him for who he was.

After each of these friends had slowly escaped Remus' life, he'd never thought he would feel that way again after the death of his friends, and now here he was surrounded once more by friends who still considered him part of the family. He'd been asked to be someone's godfather for Merlin's sake.

Remus sat with George, Hermione, and Ginny, listening to their conversation, occasionally nodding and joining, but otherwise too shocked by his friends' kindness to bee too much of a participant.

Remus was only just starting to relax when…

"Luna!"

George's voice startled Remus, and his head snapped up to see Luna walking towards the Weasley's.

Remus did not miss how Luna's step faltered upon seeing him. He felt his heart catch in his throat and his chest tighten at seeing her.

Remus was sure Luna knew Bill and Fleur had asked him to be their child's godfather, so he was sure she must have known that he would be there today.

There was a blush rising on Luna's face, but Remus was not so sure that it was because of him. He felt that surely it must be from being under so many eyes that seemed to be recording any move that she or he would make.

"Ehm, so how's Fleur doing, Luna?" Fleur's father finally broke the silence, surely confused as to why all conversation had stopped with Luna's presence.

"Oh," Luna finally tore her eyes away from Remus to smile weakly at the others. "Fleur's wonderful, a little nervous of course, as any new mother would be of course. But she's happy, happier than I've ever seen her."

"Oh, that's wonderful," both Molly and Fleur's mother sighed happily.

"Right, ehm, so Sabine, you were telling me about Fleur's first year going off to Beauxbatons," Luna said, and moved closer to speak with Fleur's family.

Remus could feel eyes darting from Luna to him and back again, but eventually everyone recontinued their conversations and the attention was thankfully taken off Remus and Luna.

It was harder for Remus to concentrate on whatever his companions were saying. He was too busy trying not to look Luna's way, and yet was finding himself constantly sneaking glances at her.

Luna was neither looking at him with hope and longing nor anger and contempt. Rather, she wouldn't look his way at all. It was as if he were not there.

He wasn't sure what hurt more.

There was only so much he could take, and after an hour Remus decided to offer going to buy tea for everyone. Remus noted that neither Molly nor Luna placed any orders.

Remus was eager to get away if only for a few moments.

After levitating all the tea's, Remus was headed back and nearly lost control of his magic and dropped all the drinks after nearly bumping into someone.

"Harry," Remus stammered at the young man standing before him, his eyes on the ground as if he were a little boy being scolded.

"I-I thought maybe you could use a hand with the tea's," Harry muttered quietly.

Remus wasn't sure whether Harry was offering help of his own accord or per Ginny's request, but he wasn't about to turn the boy away either way. "I could use a hand," Remus offered kindly.

The two headed back in relative silence, and they were nearly back to the rest of the group when Harry stopped them suddenly, "Remus, could I speak to you for a moment?"

Remus swallowed nervousness, "Of course."

Harry led them off to the side to where there were a few chairs, and Remus sat down beside the younger man, taking more time than was probably necessary to set the tea down.

Remus stared at Harry curiously, who looked perhaps more nervous than Remus had ever seen him.

"I-I wanted to apologize," Harry blurted finally, looking directly into Remus' eyes for the first time all day, in weeks really.

"A-apologize," Remus asked, as if not quite believing what he was hearing.

"Yes, I-I've been awful to you Remus. We all have," Harry shook his head, shame clear on his features.

"Well," Remus stopped, not sure how to deny the fact.

"We've been acted horribly, ostracizing you like that. You're family, we should have never treated you like that...I should have never treated you like that," Harry said quietly. For a moment Remus thought the boy might cry, but he managed to maintain his composure.

"It was understandable," Remus said. "I should be the one apologizing to you all as well. I never meant to hurt anyone Harry, I swear it. I never meant to lie to you all, to give you any reason to be ashamed of you. I've not acted respectably."

"But that's just it Remus, there's no reason to be ashamed of you, or upset," Harry said fiercely, so much so it nearly startled Remus.

"But I- it was wrong of me to enter into a relationship with Luna. I knew it would be frowned upon, I know she deserves better, someone her own age, but I let myself believe anyway."

Harry was shaking his head, "You're wrong Remus. I've thought about it long and hard, and I've realized that I'm not upset about you and Luna. I'll admit it was a shock at first, I could hardly believe it, but...I don't think it's wrong. If it's love, how could it be wrong? I think I was more upset about the secrecy more than anything else, and even then, when I think about it, I don't really have any right to be upset over that either, have I? It's your relationship, and up to you to decide to whom and when you told people about you two, and I understand why you kept it secret for so long. There's no reason for us to be so upset. We know you Remus, we know what a good man you are, and we know you would never do anything to hurt Luna. If you love her, you should be with her. I've been awful to you for no good reason Remus, and I'm so truly sorry for it...and, I know I should have invited you earlier, but I just wanted to say, I couldn't be happier if you would be there at the wedding."

Now it was Remus who was nearly in tears over Harry's words.

"I- thank you Harry. You've no idea what that means to me," Remus croaked quietly.

There was some silence then, though it was not awkward. Remus clasped Harry's shoulder gently, and the boy let him.

After a few minutes, Remus was just about to suggest they return to the others when Harry asked, "So, about you and Luna? What's going on there- if you don't mind me asking."

Remus winced at the question.

"Y-you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to of course," Harry stammered after seeing how uncomfortable Remus was.

"No, it's alright, I…"

Harry stared interestedly at Remus, "I...I assume you and Luna aren't together at the moment."

Remus frowned, staring at the floor. "I'm afraid not."

There was some silence as Harry processed that before he asked, "Will you not return together?"

The question hurt Remus in a way he could never explain to Harry, or anyone. "I'm afraid not."

"Would you? If you could, that is," Harry asked.

Remus scoffed quietly, "I'm not sure it matters what I want anymore. Luna's moving on. I've ruined it. Even if I deserved to be with Luna, I don't believe she would want me anymore."

Now the silence was awkward, relationship talk clearly not something either of the two were particular experts in.

"We should head back," Remus said finally, willing to face being in Luna's presence rather than sit in this awkward silence any longer.

The two stood, but before Remus could get very far, Harry spoke again.

"For what it's worth, I do think you deserve Luna. You're a good man Remus, better than you know. Luna may be sad now, but if you told her you loved her, I'm sure she would have you," Harry blurted.

Remus blushed and so did Harry, then with another word the two headed back.

oOo

Six hours had passed when a mediwitch finally came to the hall where the tired and eagerly awaiting crowd were waiting.

Remus looked up with nervous excitement at the mediwitch, his nerves relaxed after seeing the gentle smile on the witch.

"You're all here for Bill and Fleur Weasley, correct?" The mediwitch asked.

"Yes, yes, that's us," many of them answered.

The mediwitch smiled, "Well, you'll be happy to know that Fleur has given birth to a healthy baby girl."

Everyone cheered and hugged one another at the news, the mediwitch letting the whooping and celebrating go on for a few more minutes before continuing, "She's a healthy seven pounds and twenty 'll get an opportunity to visit the baby and new mother in a few minutes, but only in pairs. We don't want to stress Fleur or the new baby. Perhaps parents first?"

It was agreed that first Fleur's parents would go visit Fleur and the child, then Bill's parents, then Ron and Hermione, Ginny and Harry, George and Fleur's sister Gabrielle, Percy and Charlie, and finally the child's godparents: Luna and Remus.

Remus heart sank when the pairs were organized (by Ginny of course), and avoided Luna's gaze when it was determined they were to go in together. Remus could say nothing. He could not object, as he did not want Luna or anyone to think he did not want to be around her, and what's more how could he argue against the sense that the child's godparents should meet her together. Clearly Luna thought along the same lines, for she said nothing as well.

Slowly, pair by pair, each of Bill and Fleur's loved ones went in to meet the newest Weasley, with each pair a new little bit of information being revealed. The child had been named Victoire, she had lovely long eyelashes, an adorable upturned nose, and surprisingly blonde Delacour hair, not red as everyone had expected.

Slowly, it was Remus' and Luna's turn to meet baby Victoire, and after glancing at each other uncertainly, the two stood and headed to Bill and Fleur's temporary ward.

The silence was stifling for Remus as the two headed to the ward, the memories of their encounter at Diagon Alley still too fresh in each other's minds.

It was strange, walking right alongside Luna, and yet feeling a million miles away from her. There was a stiffness in Luna's posture as they walked, and a tenseness in the air between them. As horrible as Remus felt about it, it was difficult to feel quite as excited as he might have if things were at least alright for Luna.

And it seemed she felt the same way, for not a few moments after Remus had thought that, Luna spoke.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Remus tripped a little in his step but quickly cleared his throat, hoping the noise would distract from his misstep.

"Ehm-"

"I meant everything I said, but I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, especially out in public," Luna corrected herself.

Remus deflated a little at that, but nodded anyway, "You had every right too."

"Even so," Luna said quietly and then stopped, prompting Remus to stop as well and stare at her. Luna stared up at him, not angry, not upset, just calmly earnest, "Can we agree that for today, it's all about Bill and Fleur. We leave everything else outside that room. We're Victoire's godparents now, and if there's one thing that we should do today, it's focus only on that."

There was a steely resolve in Luna's eyes and expression as she stared up at Remus, it almost hurt. It was different from how she had looked at him before. It was different from her looks of love or anger or hurt. Luna looked determined to keep herself calm and her expressions neutral, almost frozen, as if nothing Remus did or said could really affect her ever again, positively or negatively. She spoke to him almost as if he were an uninteresting stranger asking her for directions to the nearest floo.

A part of Remus wanted to protest, wanted to ask Luna how they could leave everything so easily at the door. If he were to say that though, he'd be going back on everything he'd asked of Luna in the past few weeks. And he'd be, in a way, admitting something to Luna he wasn't sure he was ready to accept.

"Agreed," Remus finally said, for what else could he say?

And so with a nod from Luna, the two entered Bill and Fleur's ward.

Even if Luna hadn't asked him to leave everything at the door, he would have anyway after beholding the sight of a tired-looking but still always beautiful Fleur lying on her hospital bed and staring adoringly up at Bill who stood next to her, or rather, the little bundle of baby wrapped up in white blankets in his arm.

Bill turned to Remus and Luna and grinned at them. Carefully Bill repositioned his child so that Remus and Luna could see her lovely face, "Victoire, meet your godparents. Godparents, meet Victoire."

"Oh Bill, Fleur, she's beautiful," Luna whispered. Remus couldn't help but glance at Luna, admire the look of pure love on her face, directed solely at the newest Weasley addition to the family.

"She's perfect," Fleur agreed, her voice radiated love and warmth. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Oh, may I," Luna asked eagerly.

Bill grinned, "Of course. You both must."

Bill went to Luna first, entrusting his first born carefully into the blonde's arms. Remus watched as Luna gasped at the warm weight of Victoire in her hands, at the girl's soft cooing and sighs.

"Oh she's the most precious thing I have ever seen," Luna whispered reverently. "Hello Victoire, hello. You are so beautiful. I'm so honored to be your godmother. I feel so happy that I'll get to watch you grow up into a beautiful, smart, and kind woman one day, just like your mother."

Luna whispered some other things to Victoire, but sound was slowly starting to drown out in Remus' ears the longer he watched Luna with Victoire. There was the setting sun's final rays streaming in through the hospital window, illuminating Luna's milky skin and blonde hair, as well as Victoire's, bathing the two in a light Remus dared call angelic. Luna had eyes only for Victoire in that moment, the small new life that she carried.

It occurred to Remus in that moment how good Luna looked holding a child. It occurred to him what a good mother Luna would be one day, kind and nurturing, fun and full of light, always understanding and always helpful. She would create dream-makers.

Luna looked up from Victoire to them, her eyes catching Remus' briefly. For a moment, a moment in which Luna surely forgot herself, she grinned at him, so full of love and joy for this new life in their world that she had forgotten any trouble she had with anything and anyone, including Remus.

Victoire cooed and Luna turned back to the baby, her long blonde hair falling like a curtain to hide her face, and just like that, the moment was over.

It occurred to Remus that Luna would make a wonderful mother one day, and he would continue on alone. In moments, Remus could see the future laying out before him. Perhaps he would get his book published, maybe make a few galleons off it, and then what? Continue working a second-rate job? Live for only a few moments of belonging when attending dinners with Bill and Fleur? Stand in the sidelines as he watched Luna move on with her life without him?

 _You could see her again like this you know, only carrying your child._

Remus hushed the wolf, not in the mood to argue. For though moments ago Remus had stood in awe of Luna's beauty holding a child, he was now overcome with a deep sadness knowing that any child Luna held in the future would never be theirs, no matter how much he dared hope.

She was slipping away from him, he could feel it in his bones.

Remus let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and turned away, approaching Fleur and taking her outstretched hand in his, "How are you feeling Fleur?"

"Tired, but happier than I've ever been." Fleur sighed happily, her thumb stroking Remus. "Oh Remus, you've no idea how happy I am. I can't wait until the day you feel the same as I do now, you'll see."

Remus smiled weakly at Fleur, not having the heart to tell her that he doubted he would ever feel as Fleur did.

"Would you like to hold her Remus?" Bill asked.

Remus looked up, glancing at Luna who looked up as well. Luna nodded at him, the slightest of smiles on her lips, convincing Remus to nod nervously to Bill. It'd been eighteen years since he'd last held a newborn.

Luna stepped over to Remus, and with the utmost care transfered small Victoire over to Remus' arms.

For a moment, Remus forgot everything else as he stared into the snoozing face of baby Victoire. She was beautiful, and Remus could tell even now that she would grow up to be the spitting image of her mother. It had been years since Remus had held a baby in his arms, and he was nearly knocked down by the overwhelming desire to want to protect this child with his life, to want only the best for her. This child was his goddaughter, and he resolved then and there to always be there for her.

oOo

Remus knocked lightly on Shell Cottage's door, a small parcel in his hands.

It had been a week since Victoire had been born, and five days since Fleur was back at Shell Cottage. The small home on the beach seemed to be so full of well-wishers every time he visited. Remus hadn't even known that Bill and Fleur had so many friends. Old school chums of Bill and Fleur's, distant relatives, even Viktor Krum had come visit Remus had heard. Seeing all these people going in and out of Shell Cottage only made Remus realize all the more just how significant it was that out of all their friends, it was Remus whom Bill and Fleur had chosen as Victoire's godfather.

It was a warm feeling in Remus' chest to be sure.

Finally, the door was opened by perhaps the last person Remus wanted to see at the moment: none other than Molly Weasley.

Molly blinked up at Remus' tall figure, clearly not having expected to see him at Shell Cottage's door, though he was sure she must know he was still good friends with Bill and Fleur.

"Hello Molly," Remus greeted, hoping that he could get through this visit without sparking an argument.

Molly's mouth gaped like a fish before she composed herself, standing a little straighter, "Remus. I expect you're here to visit Fleur and the baby."

Remus nodded, "You would be correct."

Molly nodded and reluctantly stepped aside, "Well, come on in."

Remus thanked Molly and stepped inside, heading to the kitchen, noting that all was still in the cottage. Much more still than Remus would have suspected of a cottage housing a newborn baby in it's depths.

"Bill, Fleur, and Victoire are all asleep upstairs at the moment. They've all been asleep for nearly two hours though, so I expect someone will be up in no time if you don't mind waiting for them for a bit," Molly explained, immediately busying herself with tidying up the kitchen, which was already tidy.

Remus nodded, "I don't mind, I'll wait for a bit. I've only just brought a little gift for the baby."

Molly looked over her shoulder, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Oh?"

Remus saw an opportunity and he took it.

"Yes," Remus said, pulling the item out of the parcel. "What do you think? I'll admit I don't know too much about newborns, or children at all for that matter. I got Victoire a small dress, I thought it might suit her, but I wasn't sure about the size."

Molly's eyes widened and she let out some laughter Remus expected was involuntary when she saw Victoire's dress. "Remus, this dress is for one-year olds. Victoire won't fit in this for another year."

Remus' face colored, "Oh. I didn't realize. I'll return it."

Molly shook her head, a small smile still gracing her lips, "No, I'm sure Bill and Fleur would still appreciate it. You'll get better at baby shopping when you have one of your own."

Both Remus and Molly froze at the older woman's offhand comment.

Remus cleared his throat uncomfortably, looking away.

"Remus?"

"Yes," Remus asked, hoping the woman would change the subject.

"I wanted to apologize."

At that Remus looked up at Molly, this stubborn hard-headed woman who was now looking at him with regret in his eyes.

Remus said nothing, unsure how he should respond to what he very well believed might have been a trick of his own mind. Molly Weasley apologizing?

Remus stared questioningly at the Weasley matriarch who continued, tears welling up in her eyes, "I've been so ashamed of how I've been acting Remus. Everyone's been telling me I've behaved out of line, but I hadn't wanted to listen because I knew they were right and I had already been so terrible to you. I've said awful things."

Remus winced, internally agreeing with Molly, but there was clear regret on Molly's face, and he didn't want to make her feel anymore worse than she did.

"We all say things we don't mean when we're confused or upset," Remus offered.

"You've been nothing but a good man in all the time I've known you Remus, a friend to all of us and a true part of this family. I should have never treated one of our own the way I've treated you, it wasn't right of me."

Remus shook his head, "I understand."

"I should not judged you so harshly Remus. I know you, I know you would never hurt anyone you cared about. You would never hurt Luna intentionally and...the more I think about it...I think it's grand that you and Luna had found each other."

"What," Remus asked, not sure that he had heard Molly correctly.

Molly was smiling gently at him, earnestness in her eyes, "You and Luna are good for one another. You were both happier when you were together, I could see it. I didn't know why it was, but I knew there was something making you happier. You make each other happy, and no one should get in the way of that, myself included."

Remus didn't think he had the strength to deny that truth at that moment, so he said nothing.

"Could you forgive me Remus?"

Remus stared at Molly and smiled gently, "Of course I forgive you Molly. We're family."

Molly smiled and Remus let himself be embraced by the shorter woman for a moment.

The two sat then, talking and sipping tea, catching up on all they had missed the last few weeks. It was a little awkward, but Remus suspected that with time, soon all would return as it had been between Molly and Remus.

The more they spoke, the more a thought began developing in Remus's mind.

"I'm sorry Molly," Remus interrupted. "I need to be going now, will you let Bill and Fleur know I stopped by?"

"O-of course."

Remus thanked Molly and headed out, but he was cut short in the living room when he caught the faint scent of eucalyptus.

Remus turned around, and sure enough, there was Luna standing in the middle of the staircase, staring down at him.

Remus swallowed. He hadn't expected to see Luna, Molly hadn't mentioned her.

"Luna," Remus croaked, wondering how much of his conversation with Molly she had heard.

"Remus," Luna greeted quietly.

Remus winced a little. He'd seen her every time he'd come to visit Shell Cottage, and each time Luna had been perfectly civil to him, like a stranger might have acted. Remus was unsure whether she was behaving this way because she was truly moving on or if she was simply avoiding conflict for the sake of sharing godparent duties to Victoire with him.

All Remus knew was that this coldness from Luna hurt more than perhaps her yelling and tears.

"I-I was just leaving," Remus said awkwardly.

Luna nodded, "Goodbye then."

And with that she continued on her way to the kitchen with Molly, and Remus was left to gather himself and leave Shell Cottage alone.

oOo

Remus knocked on the door of a home he hadn't stepped foot in for years. Remus' nerves were shot, and he asked himself for the hundredth time whether this was a good idea or not. It had seemed like a good idea at the time he'd thought it. Both Harry and Molly had apologized to him, and it seemed only right that Remus started offering a few apologies of his own. While he knew it was the right thing to do, it did nothing for his nerves. Remus worried he would be sick.

Just when Remus was beginning to think that perhaps he should just turn around and leave, the door he'd knocked on opened, revealing none other than the tall, elegant figure of Andromeda Black.

"Remus?" Andromeda looked both shocked and wary to see her daughter's former lover on her doorstep.

"Andy," Remus greeted shakily.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to apologize."

Andromeda's eyes widened before they narrowed and she stood straighter. "What for?"

"For everything. I'm sorry I couldn't protect Dora and I'm sorry I wasn't a better man to her. Every day I think about what I could have done to have kept her safe so that she could still be here today. Every day I've thought about all the pain the last few years have brought on me, on you, and on everyone. I'm sorry I didn't tell you when I had begun to move on, I didn't realize when it had happened until after it had happened. I'm sorry things didn't turn out as we both thought they might have, and I'm sorry that you found out about Luna and I the way that you did. But I'm not sorry for my relationship with Luna. That's something I'll never be sorry for."

There were tears in Andromeda's eyes at Remus declaration.

Remus was breathing heavily, winded after his little speech, and waiting for Andromeda to say something.

Andromeda turned her head and wiped the tears away from her cheeks before she sniffed, "I can't say it wasn't a shock to learn about you and Luna, and it's something I've thought on many times since that night. Dora loved you very much Remus, and she was sure she would spend the rest of her life with you. Even after everyone, myself included I'll admit, told her that you were too old, too worn, and too troubled. She didn't care, she loved you anyway, and you made her happier than anyone else ever had and I'm sure happier than anyone ever could. I think...if this is how you make the Lovegood girl feel by being with her, and it's how she makes you feel...you have my blessing. I know you don't need it, but you have it. If you love her, you should be together. I think if there's one thing this terrible war has taught us, it's that life is too short to not be with the ones we love."

Remus blinked, not believing what Andromeda had said. He hadn't even expected forgiveness when he'd set his mind to see with Andromeda, and now she was giving him her blessing.

Andromeda closed the door on the gaping Remus then, and he expected that from now on Remus would only ever see the older woman once a year on the anniversary of Dora's death, but he accepted that it was the way things were now.

Andromeda had left him with much to think about.

oOo

So there you have it everybody, chapter 18, basically all written in Remus' perspective this go-around! I hope you've enjoyed it, and I'm going to try and be better about posting! I'm sure I'll have another chapter up within the following week or two weeks at the ABSOLUTE latest. As a reminder, there are only three chapters left to this story, one of which will be a short epilogue. So stay tuned and make sure you all turn on those notifications to find out how this story ends ;)


	19. Chapter 19

_Author's Note: I know, I know, it's unforgivable how long it's been since I've updated! I can give nothing but apologies and offer a long-overdue chapter. Hope you enjoy!_

oOo

It was the first day of May, and one of the loveliest days Remus had seen in awhile. It was possibly one of the most perfect first spring days Remus had ever witnessed. The sun was bright, there was a refreshing breeze in the air, the waves were not too strong, and the trees were in bloom. Remus had rarely seen the first day of spring look so perfect in all his years in England.

It was a wonderful day for a godparents ceremony, and Remus expected that the universe had pulled some string and aligned perfectly today all for little Victoire. Remus smiled a little at the thought of Victoire. She was only a couple weeks old, and all she really did was cry, sleep, and eat, but Remus was completely smitten with her. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that he was older now or just the fact that Remus was Victoire's godfather, but he looked forward to seeing Victoire every time he came to Shell Cottage now. He loved watching her gurgle as she ate, how bright and aware her eyes looked even at only two weeks, and especially how warm she felt in his arms whenever he carried her little snoozing body.

"Are you nearly ready Remus?"

Bill entered his bedroom where Remus had stepped in to put on the new suit Bill and Fleur had bought for him as a gift. Remus had protested heavily at accepting a gift from Bill and Fleur when it was he who should be bringing gifts to the new parents and baby.

Of course, Bill and Fleur would hear none of it.

So now Remus was in Bill and Fleur's bedroom, adjusting his new suit and only just now starting to feel nerves about the ceremony.

He'd only attended one godparents ceremony once before, Harry's nearly nineteen years ago. He couldn't remember it being such a nerve wracking affair at the time, but then again, at the time Remus had only been an audience member.

"Pretty ready," Remus confirmed, giving himself one more glance in the mirror and one more run through his hair with his hand. "Has everyone arrived?"

"Just about," Bill confirmed. "Most have gathered by the shore already. Luna's nearly ready."

Remus' hand paused in his hair before he put it down. Remus cleared his throat and adjusted his tie, though it had already been in a fine state.

"Have you nothing to say?" Bill asked.

Remus turned to look at Bill. The younger man was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised at Remus.

Remus frowned and looked away, "I don't know what you want me to say."

"I want you to tell me how you feel," Bill said simply.

Remus sighed, unsure if he wanted to delve into this territory with Bill at right this moment when he was about to be officially magically sworn in as a godparent alongside Luna.

"Is this really what you want to talk about right now? Ten minutes before your daughter's godparents ceremony?" Remus groaned.

Bill smirked, "Yes, I want to know what's happening with you and Luna."

Remus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Nothing's happening Bill. Nothing's been happening.

"What are you talking about? You're here nearly every day, neither of you are sending each other glares...you look like you're getting along."

Remus shook his head, "You're seeing what you want to see Bill. I'm here nearly every day for you and Fleur and Victoire, and the only reason Luna and I aren't sending each other glares is because we both realize we have to be in each others' lives as Victoire's godparents. We're being civil, nothing more."

"Really, there's nothing else?"

In an attempt to try and get Bill off his back Remus said, "Maybe one day we'll be friends again Bill. But right now, if civil is all there is going to be between Luna and I then I'm alright with that."

"That's a load of bullshit and we both know it mate."

Remus frowned, looking up sharply at Bill, shocked to hear his friend speak so bluntly.

"Bill…"

"No Remus, you can't honestly tell me that you're alright with simply being friends with Luna for the rest of your life, maybe. I mean, come on!"

"Bill-"

"I saw the way you looked at her," Bill interrupted, urging in his eyes. "I saw the way you looked at her that day in the hospital, when Luna was holding Victoire in her arms. I saw."

"I don't know what you're talking a-"

"You're still in love with her Remus, and I don't think you're ever going to stop loving her. You can't honestly look me in the eyes and tell me it's not true. You need to tell her how you feel Remus. Luna is still in love with you as well, I'm sure of it," Bill implored.

Remus couldn't take it anymore. "Bill! Luna is done with me! We ran into each other a few weeks ago, in Diagon Alley, and we argued. Luna's told me how she feels, and it's not love. Not anymore. She's done with me." Remus swallowed, blinking away the stinging in his eyes, "It's over."

There was some silence as Bill processed Remus' words. Remus was just beginning to think that maybe that would be the end of it, but then Bill spoke, so quietly Remus wasn't sure that he'd heard him.

"I still think that you should tell her Remus. Have you ever thought that maybe the reason Luna told you it was over was because you never gave her any hope that there was a possibility it wasn't? Don't forget it was you that ended things with Luna the first time Remus, not her."

Remus stared at his hands, not wanting to speak.

Bill sighed, "I'll see you on the shore."

oOo

Luna carried little Victoire in her arms as she stood by the shore with all their family and friends. A good number of people had come to attend Victoire's godparents ceremony, to be officiated by the minister himself: Kingsley Shacklebolt. All the Weasley's were in attendance of course, along with a few distant relations, Fleur's family, Harry and Hermione, friends of Bill's and Fleur's from growing up at Hogwarts as well as from work, and even a few professors as well invited by Bill and Fleur such as Professor McGonagall, Madame Maxime and Hagrid.

It was a hearty crowd, and Luna could see that Victoire would grow up to be loved by many.

Luna took a deep breath in as she paused to rest her hands on her knees and catch her breath. She was in disbelief over just how tired she was after walking up the cliff she had been traversing up for the better part of her life for as long as she could remember. It was a testament to how long it had been since she had been at the Lovegood home.

Luna finally straightened to oversee the tall cylindrical house that she loved so much. In the past Luna had been told that her home could look somewhat intimidating, as tall and out of place as it looked on the large hill now beginning to bloom with spring. It was painted black, an interesting and misleading color in complete contrast to the walls inside, not to mention the people that had once lived in it. Yet to Luna it was a comforting sight to behold. This lovely home that had been filled with so much love and magic and laughter among the tall hill grass and the slightly overgrown dirigible plum bushes surrounding the house.

There were countless memories Luna held dear that were associated with this home, as any child had with the place where they grew up in. There was so much that had happened, and so much more that could have. It was that thought that started the stinging in the back of Luna's eyes.

When Luna heard the steps and heavy breathing behind her however, she quickly wiped at her eyes and crossed her arms, looking on quietly.

"That hill was a lot more difficult to trek than I thought it would be," Bill breathed, his hands resting on his knees as Luna had been moments ago.

"Imagine how I'm feeling," Fleur said catching up shortly after him. "You go for a run every day and I don't, not to mention I've just given birth to a human being."

Bill laughed but Luna could only smile a little, though she wanted to laugh.

Ever-perceptive Bill of course immediately picked up on it, smiled gently at Luna and placed a comforting hand on her back. "Ready?"

Luna's heart warmed and after a moment she was able to truly smile and nod, "Yes, I'm ready."

Alongside her new family, Luna led the way into the Lovegood home, her hand waving her wand in the exact motions necessary to take down the wards she'd put up many months ago.

Luna entered, her breath shallow partly because of all the dust in the air, but mostly because of the waves of emotions hitting her as she looked around her home. There was her father's favorite tea-set on the table, his spell and cauldron tools mixed and scattered amongst the cooking utensils that had only been acquired after Luna and Ginny had spent an evening with Hermione learning how to bake cookies the long and complicated muggle way. The last time Luna had been at home it had been the holidays, and the silver bells her father were still bobbing weakly all around the edges of the ceiling, their light dim but amazingly still there after all these months.

Luna's eyes began to well with tears, but only this time, they weren't completely out of sadness. Her tears were of awe, awe that even after being gone, traces of her father's magic were still here.

"Luna, are you alright darling?" Fleur's soothing tune reached Luna.

"It's just," Luna started slowly, "I guess I thought that one day...Remus would have been the one here to help me move all my things."

Luna sniffed and nodded. After clearing her throat, Luna motioned to a few items, "I only need a few things from the living room. The yellow couch and the black round table. Oh and the record player. And definitely all the kitchen utensils. I can go up and gather some things from my bedroom."

Without waiting to see if Bill and Fleur had paid attention to see which yellow couch Luna had been referring to, the blond was climbing up the spiral staircase to her bedroom. Luna momentarily paused outside her father's bedroom, but kept moving and entered her bedroom.

Luna took a breath of relief once she was in the safety of her bedroom, the room much easier to be in as it had been one her father had not spent much time in, always considerate of her space and privacy. Luna carefully collected her string-lights, treasured photographs and letters, all her art materials, her comfiest and warmest bed-throw, her favorite and much missed outfits from her overflowing closet, and her entire collection of every Quibbler issue ever printed.

Once all of Luna's items had been collected and magically shrunk, Luna dug around her bag for an item she had brought with her from Shell Cottage.

Carefully, Luna retrieved a small wooden box, intricately decorated with beautiful star symbols. It was the gift Remus had given her for her birthday.

Luna's chest hurt as she slowly opened it, revealing the wonderful magic Remus had put inside, a corporeal form of the full moon. Luna could feel the wolf in her howl forlornly as she closed it and quickly placed it underneath her bed.

Luna faltered as she got to the bedroom door, looking over shoulder to look over to her bed. No one would have any clue what lay hidden beneath it unless they looked. It was similar in many ways, to how Luna had hidden away her feelings deep within herself, easily overlooked if one did not look closely. It was difficult, but Luna had resigned herself to the fact that this was the way it must be, no matter how much it hurt and no matter how much she wished it were otherwise.

"Luna?"

Luna shook her head and finally stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her and heading down to her friends calling her.

oOo

Remus straightened out his collection of parchment sheets before neatly placing them on his desk with a sense of solemn finality.

It was done.

He almost couldn't believe that he had finished. Remus had been writing since he was a very young boy, and had entertained the dream of writing a book since he was very young. It didn't take more than a few years after becoming a werewolf to realize that his dream would be an impossibility for him. Although, perhaps not so impossible now.

Remus remembered Luna's words well, the push he needed to convince him to write his book. Now, after months of work, it was finally finished and staring up at him from desk. It was done and had been read over and edited by himself many times and at this point was as good as it was going to get under the untrained eye.

Now all he had to do was magically make copies and send them out to publishing organizations and wait to see who would bite.

Luckily, a familiar scent caught his nose and Remus got up to unlock his door and starting up a kettle of tea in the kitchen.

Predictably, Bill stepped into Remus' flat and straight to the kitchen to take the second cup of tea from Remus hands.

"How you doing mate," Bill asked after a hearty gulp.

Remus smirked, "Alright I suppose. How's Fleur and baby Victoire."

Like magic, Bill's face softened into an expression of pure love as he grinned, "Amazing, absolutely amazing. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm in a bit of a funk from all these sleepless nights, and there's no exaggeration to how much babies cry and poop, but somehow i just don't mind. I just, I thought I couldn't love Fleur anymore than I already did but I can't even believe how much that's grown seeing her as a mother, to my daughter. Victoire is everything, all she does is sleep and eat and poop and look adorable, but she's everything. I barely know her and I'd do anything for her."

Remus smiled softly at his friend from behind his mug, "So they're well then?"

Bill blinked out of his love state and blushed slightly as he took another sip of his drink. Clearing his throat then, Bill turned the tables by motioning to Remus' desk. "So how is the writing coming along?"

Remus swirled the drink in his mug, "Well, actually it's complete."

Bill raised an eyebrow, "Complete as in finished? As in the books is completely finished?"

"It's completely finished," Remus nodded. "Just need to mail it out and wait."

"Wow, well that's an accomplishment in itself. How do you feel?"

Remus thought for a moment, "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

Remus chewed carefully on his lip, unsure if he wanted to reveal his thoughts to Bill who he knew would remind him once again of things he didn't want to hear.

"I mean, it's almost bittersweet. I've finally accomplished something I've been thinking about for years, and it never would have happened without Luna. I never would have even started it, much less finished it if it hadn't been for her," Remus said quietly.

Bill was silent for a moment before beginning, "Well…"

Remus sighed and pushed himself off his kitchen counter to relocate to sit on his bed, knowing he'd have to sit if he was to get through Bill's onslaught.

"That's actually the reason I've come over." Bill said.

"To tell me again what I've already heard, if so I hope you're ready to hear what I've been responding, again and again," Remus sighed.

"It's different this time Remus," and something in Bill's tone made Remus look up at his friend. Bill sighed, "Do you know what Fleur and I did this weekend? We helped Luna move things out of the Lovegood home and into her new flat in Diagon Alley. With the apothecary's owner failing in health, Luna's been offered a raise and a room to stay in above the shop. The place isn't quite ready for her yet, but she'll be moving in next week after graduation. She's moving on and you're losing her Remus. Soon it will be too late."

Remus remained quiet, unsure what to say, not trusting himself to speak without betraying the pain and worry he felt at Bill's words.

Bill sighed again, more than likely out of frustration at Remus' lack of response and lowered to sit by Remus. "I know you've heard it all before Remus, but it's more real now. Luna is moving on with her life, she's young and she can't wait forever. She's about to be a Hogwarts graduate and working in the hub of London's wizarding world. She thinks you don't love her and she's going to carry that with her for the rest of her life, because even though she's finally moving on, she's still tragically in love with you. And don't even try to tell me you no longer care for her, because it's obvious to everyone, even Harry of all people, that you're still madly in love with her and that if you don't win her back it'll be the biggest regret of your life."

With those final words, Bill clasped Remus gently on the shoulders. "The clock's nearly run out mate. You've got to make a move, it's now or never."

And with those last words, Bill left Remus a mountain to think about.

After Bill had gone, Remus lay back in his bed and pondered. It was nearly nightfall by the time Remus finally sat up and rubbed his face tiredly. It was through the gaps in his hands that he caught sight of his book again, still waiting for him to make his move.

So Remus stood.

oOo

Luna twirled the small daffodil flower between her thin fingers as she was careful to sit very still while Ginny worked busily on Luna's hair and Hermione worked on her own hair, insisting that no one else quite new better than she how to tame the particular entity that was her hair.

Graduation day was finally here.

It was strange, surreal almost, being tucked upstairs in Ginny's bedroom with her and Hermione, preparing for the day that most students waited eagerly and excitedly for all of their seventh year. For Luna, Hermione, and Ginny, and their entire generation really, they could hardly believe they had made it to graduation with the war and all that had happened in the past year or two, what had happened to them.

It was unbelievable to think that a year and a half ago, Luna had been in captivity at Malfoy manor before being rescued and hiding out at Shell Cottage, returning to school and hiding from the Carrows until eventually she was fighting in the final battle at Hogwarts.

Not too long ago, she was waving goodbye to her father at King's Cross, not knowing it would be the last time she would see him alive.

A year ago, Ginny was stuck at home and at Hogwarts, worrying about Harry and her family. Hermione was on the run, scared and hungry and tired.

Luna stared at Hermione out of the corner of her eye, and she could see a certain glaze over the brown-haired girl's stare as she brushed her hair, as if her mid was somewhere far away. Luna imagined that about a year ago, Hermione wasn't sure that she would still be alive to see graduation.

Luna stared down at the daffodil in her hands.

She thought of her father.

It was getting less painless, to think of her father. She could think fondly of him now, without feeling like she wanted to coop herself up in her room and curl up on her bed and cry. A smile graced Luna's lips as she thought of how she could think happily of her father that he would be proud of her, knowing Luna was about to graduate from Hogwarts. Even after the war, Luna hadn't been sure she'd make it what with her having to do all her studies away from the castle all year, only coming by for exams. Luna had been sure that her marks had been slipping, but she figured Hogwarts professors had taken pity on all students in the past year, considering the circumstances.

"There, all finished," Ginny finally said, running her wand one last time through Luna's hair before asking Luna to go look at herself in the mirror.

Luna happily obliged and skipped to Ginny's mirror. Luna smiled at the pretty piece of magic Ginny had done for her. It was tradition that for graduations at Hogwarts, students did not wear their house colors. Students wore their black robes and pointed hats and the Hogwarts crest on their robes rather than their house crests. Luna, however, never one for normality and uniformity had asked Ginny to help her enchant her hair so that the tips of her long strands were dyed a gorgeous Ravenclaw blue.

"It looks wonderful," Luna smiled sincerely. Running her hands through her long wavy locks, Luna felt connected to her house even though she hadn't been in Ravenclaw tower in over a year.

"Why thank you," Ginny laughed. "Now, are we all ready?"

Luna and Hermione slipped on their pointed hats and smiled at the redhead.

"Well what are we waiting for," Ginny grinned, slipping on her own pointed hat, and together the three girls bustled downstairs to head to Hogwarts with the rest of the Weasleys.

oOo

Luna closed her eyes as she listened to the mermaids sing their song from the lake. It was lovely, not at all like the horrible screeching that had come from the eggs the triwzard champions had won during her third year.

Luna recalled that the mermaids has sung similarly during Dumbledore's funeral. It seemed appropriate in a way that headmaster's funeral had been not unlike Hogwarts graduation ceremonies.

When the mermaids finished their song, Luna sat attentively as now Headmaster McGonagall spoke once more.

"Students, we know how far away this day has seemed for many of you. We know how much you have gone through to be here, and how hard you've worked to be here at graduation. Many of you had the choice to move on after all that had happened last year, a few did. But many, more than we actually expected, came back to Hogwarts in one way or another and now the day has come. You're here and we couldn't be more proud. Despite great obstacles, you've summoned the courage and dedication to continue with your studies and I know without a doubt that each and every one of you is stronger than you were a year ago, in body, spirit, and magic. It is our greatest hope that you use all the knowledge and magic you've gained to continue in the quest of rebuilding the wizarding world. We hope you use all your education and magic to become wizards and witches worthy of our world. And we're confident you will be. It is my great pleasure to say, congratulations students, or rather, happy graduation."

As soon as McGonagall finished her speech, Hogwarts students stood from their seats, and in Hogwarts traditions threw their pointed hats into the air and used their wands to send sparks in their house colors flying high over their heads.

Luna giggled happily, throwing blue sparks into the air. For the first time in what felt like months, Luna was laughing carefree and happy. For a few days, the thought of finally graduating from Hogwarts had seemed not as monumental as it would have been a year and a half ago, considering all she had been through, but now that she was finally here and it was done, she was happier than she had thought she would be.

It was as the hats were falling back down and Luna looked behind her to look for Bill and Fleur in the audience that she saw him. She saw Remus in the audience, staring back at her with a small smile on his face.

And just like that, Luna's heart stopped. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at Remus, standing there in his best dress robes with his sandy brown hair. The afternoon sun was hitting his eyes at just the right angle and warming his skin in a way that it desperately needed after months of winter and spending time indoors.

Luna shivered and turned away, her hands combing nervously through her blonde and blue hair.

She should have figured that Remus might be at the Hogwarts graduation. After all, he was basically Harry's godfather in spirit if not by official decree. Still, the way he'd looked at her. That look made Luna feel as if Remus had come for her and not for Harry.

Luna took a deep breath but before she could dwell much longer on her wonderings of Remus' reasons for being at Hogwarts, students were drifting her away with their final parting words and well wishes.

It was as Luna was making her way through the throng of classmates she had grown up with but had rarely seen during the past year that she finally ended up by her family, picking up a random Hogwarts hat along the way. Luna thanked the Weasley's and returned their hugs and kisses, posing for pictures amongst her friends and family.

It was as Luna was being hugged by Bill that the older redhead whispered discreetly into her ear, "I think someone wants a word with you."

Luna froze and peeked over Bill's shoulder to peer at the lone figure hanging back, only occasionally speaking when Harry or the others approached him for a congratulations.

Remus caught her eye again and Luna's breath caught, believing that Remus might really be there for her after all, his gaze steady and focused only at her in a way that it hadn't been for months.

"You should go to him."

Luna looked at Bill questioningly, but he only smiled encouragingly at her.

Luna took a deep breath and after ensuring that the other Weasley's were sufficiently distracted by the others and the celebrations, Luna steeled herself and slowly walked over to Remus.

Luna was fascinated by the way Remus seemed to stand straighter as she approached. She could tell he was nervous by the way his adam's apple shifted as he swallowed, but he stood there patiently for her anyway.

Before Luna was ready, she was standing before him, her scavenged Hogwarts hat clutched tightly in her hands as she stared up at him.

"Luna."

The way Remus breathed her name made Luna's own breath catch. "H-Hello."

"I suppose a congratulations are in order."

"Y-yes," Luna blushed. "I suppose so. It's surreal really."

Remus smiled gently. "Well deserved though. You'd been working so hard, just like a true Ravenclaw."

Luna glanced down at her shoes briefly, unsure how to respond to the complement. She didn't want to risk reading too much into it.

"Y-you're here for Harry then I suppose," Luna said, not trusting herself to look at him.

"Well, yes, but mostly I've come for you."

Luna looked sharply up at Remus, but his face was honest. There was no hesitation or regret on his face, only warmth and a tinge of sadness.

"I've come to apologize," Remus said sincerely.

Luna swallowed, waiting to hear more. She couldn't say anything. She needed to hear it.

"I want to apologize, for everything. For my cowardice, my stupidity, and my blindness. Leaving was I think perhaps the worst thing I have ever done. All this time I've been miserable without you, and all this time all I've been thinking about has been you. I've spent so much time regretting so many of my choices, but none of them have been my moments with you. I regret not listening to you and being too afraid to come out to our friends. I regret leaving when things got difficult instead of facing them by your side. I should have come back to you, and I should never have left."

Remus' eyes softened, "I've been a fool."

Luna blinked at the tears in her eyes, "What are you saying?"

"I'm still in love with you."

Luna couldn't stop the tears overflowing in her eyes.

"Luna," Remus took a step forward. "I mean it. I'm still madly in love with you. I've never stopped and I'm sorry for ever making you think that I didn't. I want to be with you and I don't care who know's that I love you. I love you and I wish- all I wish for is for us to start again. I know I don't deserve it, I could never deserve you, but I'll do anything "

Luna could scarcely breath as she shook her head furiously. His words were beautiful and warmed her heart in a way it had been lacking for months, but that was the problem. They were just words.

"Remus," Luna clutched the hat closer to her chest. "You hurt me."

"I know," Remus said, and she could hear the pain in his voice.

"I don't want to be hurt again."

"I won't hurt you this time."

"How can I be sure you won't change your mind again?" Luna glared at Remus, a fierceness in her eyes.

Remus took another step closer to her, his expression clear and open. "I can't give you any more than my word. I know I've given you no reason to believe me, but all I can do is ask you to give me a chance to win your trust back, because all I can do is show you that for as long as you want me, I will never, ever leave your side."

Luna's breath shook as she stared up at Remus, unaware that they were beginning to gain an audience.

Many moments passed before Luna breathed, "I need time to think."

And before her heart could give out Luna walked briskly away as far as necessary before she could finally apparate to Shell Cottage, not stopping to look back.

oOo

Luna lay that night in her bed, wide awake and thinking about all that Remus had told her earlier. She'd been going over it in her head all day, even skipping the celebratory graduation dinner at The Burrow to have time to think.

Everything Remus had told her had been what she had been waiting to hear for months. It was all she had wanted to hear from the very beginning: that he was sorry, he wasn't ashamed to be with her, and that he still loved her.

That he had never stopped.

She just couldn't be sure if she should believe him.

As sincere as Remus had seemed, and as much as he believed that he wouldn't hurt her or change his mind again, _she_ wasn't sure.

Remus had already hurt her once, and she'd nearly lost herself because of it. Now, just when she had been beginning to put the past behind her Remus turned around and wanted her back.

 _He still loves you._

And that was the catch wasn't it? Remus still loved her, and Luna still loved him.

Now Luna just had to decide if it was worth the risk.

oOo

Remus lay awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

It was nearly dawn and he hadn't been able to find sleep all night. He was too preoccupied with thoughts of Luna and what she could possibly be thinking.

Remus had thought long and hard after Bill's visit to his flat. Even though it had been that walked away from Luna even though he loved her, it took realizing that Luna was putting him in the past for Remus to finally realize that Remus didn't want to be just in Luna's past, he wanted to be in her future. What's more, he didn't care who knew he was in love with Luna. The more his friends and family told them they thought he and Luna belonged together, the more he thought himself a fool for ever letting others influence his thoughts on his relationship with Luna. Remus had finally realized that Luna was right, the wolf in him had been smarter than him all this time after all, he just never knew how to listen.

He loved her, and he didn't think he would ever stop loving her.

Now there was nothing left to do but wait and see if she'd have him.

As these thoughts swirled in Remus' mind, there was the sound of pecking on glass. Remus looked up to see what he recognized as Fleur's owl with a piece of parchment in its beak.

At the speed of light Remus was up and taking the parchment from the owl's beak, sending it away with the nearest piece of discarded bread that he could find.

Remus tore the letter open, his heart pounding as he read the simple words it contained.

 _R.,_

 _You're right, all I can do is give you a chance to know. So let's try again, from the beginning._

 _-L._

oOo

 _Author's Note: Hope you're all enjoying a happy and relaxed fall holiday! Just a reminder that there's only one chapter and an epilogue left so keep an eye out!_


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's Note: Well, the time has finally come to bring the close to this story. It's been a fun journey and I hope you've all enjoyed what little I've had to offer through this story. Today you'll be receiving three posts spread out throughout the day which will include this final chapter, an epilogue, and a short 'Author's Notes.' Please stick around to the end to see how Remus and Luna's story all pans out and to my notes to hear more of my thoughts on this story as well as plans and ideas I have for my next story which I've already begun working on (sneak peak: it'll be a Luna/Draco story *wink wink)!_

 _I'll leave you to it!_

oOo

Luna doubled over with giggles, the firewhiskey she had been drinking snorting painfully out her nose.

Luna was feeling dizzy, and it was all thanks to the multitude of magical drinks she, Ginny, and Hermione had been pouring down their throats all night.

The girls were currently at a pub in Diagon Alley in celebration of Ginny's hen's night. A few hours ago the girls had been having a lovely and wholesome dinner at The Burrow with Molly Weasley and Fleur before the younger girls had decided, at Ginny's insistence, to go out drinking and dancing. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Hermione to go and many assurances and promises that they would not drink too had needed a little convincing as well, as she wasn't very much in the mood for going out, but out of love of her friend she had been willing to go. And now that she was out, she couldn't imagine why she had ever thought she didn't want to go out.

The girls had spent most of the night dancing, even Hermione who after having had many drinks had let loose and released a whole new Hermione that Luna had no idea existed.

It was fun dancing and drinking with her friends, Luna thought. Just as Hermione was letting loose, so was Luna in a way she hadn't realized she hadn't allowed herself to be in a while.

"Someone's having fun," Ginny laughed, motioning to Hermione who was ordering yet another drink even after having begun the night stating that she would only be partaking in one drink.

"We've all had a long year, we all deserve to let loose a little," Luna giggled, running her finger along the rim of her glass.

Ginny nodded, a small but happy smile on her face. "I can toast to that."

Luna grinned and clinked her glass against Ginny's.

"I wonder what the boys are doing tonight," Ginny thought aloud. "Do you think they convinced Remus to go with them?"

Luna's heart fluttered a little at the mention of Remus. She blushed and looked away, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know. I know Bill really wanted to go."

Luna could see out of the corner of her eyes that Ginny was giving her a look that clearly said she had asked over Remus and not her oldest brother.

Luna knew Ginny was wanting to hear more about Luna and Remus, but Luna wasn't so sure she trusted herself to speak on the matter, especially when her head was spinning with fire whiskey.

Just then Luna was saved by Hermione returning to where the girls were sitting in a little alcove, practically falling across Ginny and Luna's laps, spilling her drink all over Luna's hair. Ginny chortled and teased the older girl for her light-weightedness.

Luckily, it seemed Ginny could recognize that perhaps the girls should start heading back to The Burrow where Hermione and Luna were sleeping over.

Together, Luna and Ginny held Hermione up and made their way over to the exit where they would apparate back to The Burrow. It was as the girls were out stumbling and giggling their way through the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley that Hermione slurred, "Ronald."

"Yes, yes, we know you love Ronald, Hermione. You've been speaking about him for a good chunk of the night," Ginny laughed.

"No! Ronald!" Hermione pointed, and before Ginny and Luna could stop her, the bushy-haired girl was half running, half tripping down the street and into the arms of Ron Weasley who indeed was walking down the street amongst their other friends.

Luna nearly sobered up at the sight of Remus amongst the group which included Harry, Neville, and all the Weasley brothers minus Charlie.

"Well, I'll be damned. The drunkest of us three noticed them first," Ginny laughed and then pulled on Luna's hand to catch up with Hermione and the boys.

"What are you doing here," Ginny laughed, heading straight to Harry who she wrapped her arms around.

"What do you think? Celebrating my stag night of course," Harry grinned, pecking his darling with a kiss. "Don't tell me you girls are already done for the night."

"Of course not!" Ginny exclaimed in what Luna hoped was a lie. Luckily, Hermione was too busy drunkenly snogging Ron to have caught Ginny's white lie.

Luna was then unable to pay too much attention to Ginny and Harry afterward either as Remus had taken steps closer to her to Luna.

"Hello," Remus smiled down at her gently.

And suddenly, Luna suspected that part of the reason she had been having so much fun and felt so light in her heart earlier celebrating with Ginny and Hermione was because of the past three weeks she had been spending with Remus.

"I thought you weren't going out drinking with the boys," Luna reminded feeling shy as she stared dizzily up at Remus. Just two days ago Remus had expressed to her how much Remus was not wanting to go out and drink like a madman as Harry and his friends wanted, especially since he was so aware of how much older he was than Harry and his immediate friends. Although Luna wondered just how much drinking Remus looked, as he certainly seemed to be the most sober.

"Oh believe me, Remus couldn't resist me after I demanded he come along." Suddenly Bill was stumbling over to them, his arm wrapping around Remus' shoulders for support.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Begged, more like."

"Whatever it took to get you to come out with us. Trust me, he needed it. And he's not even drunk yet!" Bill whined in such a way that had Luna giggling.

"Someone needs to make sure you don't kill yourselves drowning in drinks," Remus laughed, wrapping his arm around the drunken Bill to ensure he didn't tip over.

"Speaking of drinks, might I remind you we're still in the middle of our pub crawl!" George yelled, laughing and nearly falling over.

"George is right," Harry said. "We really should get going. Ron! Stop snogging Hermione before my eyes fall out and let's go!"

Ginny laughed and accepted a quick kiss from Harry before releasing him and the boys began saying their goodbyes to the girls.

"Well, the babysitting continues," Remus winked at Luna.

Luna smiled, "Good luck."

Remus grinned and went to follow after the rest of the boys on their pub crawl. Luna's heart was just beginning to slow back to it's regular speed when she suddenly heard some quick steps approaching her. Before Luna could process what happened, Remus had run back to her to drop a goodbye kiss on Luna's cheek before chuckling and running back to catch up with the others.

Luna gasped and smiled, touching her cheek, ignoring the knowing looks coming from Ginny.

oOo

"So, how has it been going with Remus?" Ginny whispered across the room to Luna.

It was the middle of the night and the girls had finally settled into their beds all crammed into Ginny's small room, soon to be her childhood room after she moved in with Harry at Grimmauld Place.

Molly had lectured the girls as they had drunkenly climbed the stairs, but they knew Molly wasn't really angry as she mentioned she would have hangover potions prepared for them in the morning, an extra strong one for Hermione.

Luna was all cuddled up in her blue blankets when she heard Ginny's whisper.

"Come on, don't pretend that you're asleep. I know you're not," Ginny bullied.

Luna smiled and rolled onto her side so that she could look at Ginny who was also on her side, her head resting on her arm as she stared at Ginny expectantly.

"It's your hen night. Shouldn't we be talking about you and Harry?" Luna asked.

Ginny shook her head. "All I've been talking about is Harry all night! I want to hear about you and Remus!"

"If you must know, it's going well," Luna whispered back, conscience of the knocked out Hermione sleeping in the bed between her and Ginny.

"No details?" Ginny asked. "How long has it been now?"

"Three weeks."

"Has he kissed you yet? You blushed an awful lot over that peck on the cheek he gave you earlier."

Luna blushed, shaking her head. "He wasn't kidding when he said we could start from the beginning. He's been a perfect gentleman, we've just been taking it slow. He's been coming over to Shell Cottage for dinner, taking me on walks on the beach, visiting me at Slug and Jiggers."

"And that's not driving you crazy?" Ginny whispered loudly.

Luna rolled her eyes, "No! It's been nice. It's like we're getting to know each other again, only this time without all the hiding."

Luna didn't mention how it truly did feel like they had started over. Just this week Remus had dared to hold her hand as they walked along the shore and it had given Luna such a thrill in her heart, no one would have believed that she had already bedded Remus months ago if such an innocent touch could have her soaring.

"Are you going to the wedding together?" Ginny asked.

Luna couldn't contain the grin and nodded, "Yes, he asked me this morning."

Ginny squealed, "Good, because I already have you sitting next to each other on the table chart."

Luna laughed along with her friend.

"All I've got to say is that even through my drunken haze, I could tell that Remus still loves you very much."

It wasn't long before Ginny's laughter turned into soft snores as she fell asleep.

Luna stayed up for a few minutes more, her heart warm as she thought back on the past three weeks Remus had been courting her.

It felt easy being with Remus again, easier than she had thought it would be. He was so considerate and thoughtful of her. She admired how he proudly stepped into Slug and Jiggers and brought her lunch, not at all seeming afraid of who would see him going in to spend time with her. He was at Shell Cottage nearly every day, wanting to prove himself to her.

There was still a small part of Luna that was still unsure if it was a bad idea, but Remus was giving her more and more reasons to believe that it wasn't.

And as Luna thought back on Remus' kind face smiling gently down at her, all she could think about was how her heart still beat for him.

oOo

It was the day of the wedding.

Luna was in her bedroom smoothing down the light rose dress she wore. She'd let her hair do it's own thing for the occasion. Luna placed her wand carefully in her pocket and took a deep breath.

She was so nervous one would think it was her wedding day and not Harry's and Ginny's. She wasn't sure why she was feeling particularly jittery this day. She'd been spending more and more time with Remus over the past month. She'd just seen him two days ago and let him hold her hand gently in his warm clasp. She knew Remus loved her and she was sure he knew she loved him, though she hadn't said it in months.

Despite all this, Luna couldn't help feeling that something was happening this day.

Luna shook her head and wiped her head of any premonitional thoughts and chalked it up to excitement for the union of two of her close friends.

Just then she thought her keen senses heard a faint pop in the distance. Luna paused but soon caught Remus' scent and she was speeding down the stairs and opening the door before Remus had a chance to knock on the door.

Remus' eyes were wide as he stared at her, surprised at Luna's eagerness to get the door. "Hello." Remus greeted, his eyes briefly admiring Luna's appearance. "Are you ready then?"

Luna blushed, suddenly a little embarrassed at how impatient she'd been to see Remus, standing outside Slug and Jiggers for her in his best robes and hair combed as neatly as he could manage it.

"Yes, I'm ready. Let's go."

And Luna willingly let Remus take her hand in his and apparate them to The Burrow where the wedding ceremony was to take place.

oOo

"You really made all these flower arrangements? They look amazing." Remus looked around at all the plant art Luna had created to decorate the inside of the tent that had been set up similar to Fleur and Bill's wedding.

"Thank you. It took quite a while, but I didn't mind. It was fun." Luna shrugged, admiring her own handiwork. She'd filled the tent with so many plants that if someone were to apparate directly into the tent, they'd think the whole thing had been constructed by plants.

"Well, your hard work paid off," Remus smiled, motioning with his chin to some guests admiring the enchanted plants.

Luna smiled excitedly at the interest Ginny and Harry's guests were demonstrating in her work.

"Here we are." Remus indicated to their seats in the audience.

The two took their seats and waited patiently amongst the excited chatter for the ceremony to start.

Remus was acutely aware of Luna's presence beside him. Luna was always beautiful in his eyes, but there was something about Luna in the summer. Everything about her seemed to glow, her eyes, her hair, her skin…

Remus swallowed as his eyes noticed the small bit of thigh Luna's dress revealed when she crossed her legs.

Remus quickly looked away and tried to count all the flowers Luna had arranged into the tent's ceiling.

It was interesting, Remus thought, courting someone who'd he'd already had a relationship with someone. Of course, Remus had been enjoying the past month with Luna, just being allowed into her world made Remus want to cry in happiness. He was the luckiest man alive, he knew, for having been allowed to get this close to Luna again after all he had done to her. He had counted his blessings and holding them near to his heart.

That wasn't to say of course, that Remus had forgotten the feel of Luna's skin against his. His wolf was impatient, but Remus had been able to restrain himself for the most part. Though he had allowed himself the courage to try and hold Luna's hand, which she had amazingly allowed. She'd even let him kiss her cheek, twice! He was not going to push his luck.

 _112, 113, 114, 115._

Remus gave up on counting and after taking a deep breath decided to look back at Luna again.

Remus felt the heat rise on his face at seeing the smirk on Luna's face, one thin eyebrow raised in such a way that he was sure she had a pretty good idea of what was going through his mind.

He'd forgotten Luna was familiar with the smell of arousal.

Luna burst into bubbles of laughter and then she was wrapping her hands around his right arm and resting her head on his shoulders. Remus stiffened, in shock. This was the first time in the whole month that he'd been seeing Luna that she had made such a bold move like that first. This whole time she'd been sort of letting him gauge when was the appropriate time to make contact, however small or innocent.

Then Luna let one of her hands slide down his arm until her fingers reached his hand and Remus finally let a slow breath out and entwined his fingers with hers.

Remus blinked and looked up to where Harry was standing, Ron at his side, waiting for the ceremony to begin and for Ginny to start walking down the aisle. He looked nervous, running his hands over and over again through his hair, but there was also the stupidest grin on his face that made Remus smile in happiness for his friends' son.

Just then the music began and Remus turned his head to where Ginny was walking down the aisle from behind. She looked a dream in her dress, and Remus looked forward again to where Harry had stilled, that stupid grin having turned into one of pride and a wetness in his eyes that bled happiness.

Luna rested her chin on Remus shoulder and whispered. "I'm glad that I'm here with you."

Remus's heart skipped a beat and he gripped Luna's hand tighter in his grasp.

The moment was perfect, and he wished he could stop time. Here, sitting with Luna in her pretty dress surrounded by all they knew and loved protected in an enchanted garden tent made of Luna's own magic. He closed his eyes and thought on how he could make this moment last forever.

And then it came to him.

Remus tilted his head so that it rested on Luna's, opening his eyes to stare down at her, admiring her lovely eyelashes.

 _How many moments have I spent with you wishing it was forever?_

oOo

Luna took a deep breath and leaned against one of the pillars outside the tent, a small smile on her face. Luna's closed her eyes, her fingers played with the necklace around her neck, borrowed from Fleur for the occasion.

Her heart was racing and her skin was warm, and she was sure it wasn't just the summer heat. It was the happiness of the occasion, the holding hands with Remus and the dancing and the lingering kisses on her cheek and the way Remus had brushed her hair behind her ear as he stared at her like she was everything. The way Remus had leant his forehead against hers as they swayed to the music, sharing breath, lips so close and yet not quite touching. It made Luna's head spin more than all the drinks had the night of Ginny's hen night.

Luna opened her eyes and focused on the sun just beginning to set in the distance.

Her heart was only just beginning to slow down before she caught his scent again, strong and close.

"There you are. You know I was just approached, again, for information regarding your plant work. I'm telling you, you're going to be up to your knees with orders for your work by the end of the night."

Luna turned around and looked up at Remus, a small smile on her face.

Remus tilted his head, no doubt noting something off. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, just needed a moment."

Remus nodded, "Are you ready to go back into the party?"

And the nervousness returned in Luna's belly and she quickly grasped Remus' hands in hers, stopping him from moving away.

"Wait, I just…" Remus' eyes were wide, as if unsure of where Luna was going with this. "I just wanted to stand still with you a moment."

Remus' breath seemed to have caught in his throat as he nodded. "Alright."

The butterflies in Luna's stomach were in a frenzy. Luna breathed in shakily and moved her hands so they were gripping Remus' forearms, stepping closer to him. She could tell that Remus was holding his breath and it gave Luna the courage to smile up at him, knowing that he was as nervous as she was. His eyes were searching hers, for a sign, for anything.

Luna's eyes welled with tears and she raised a hand to stroke his cheek, her hands brushing against the two freckles Remus had under his right eye.

"How can it be, that after all this time, after everything, I've never stopped loving you?" Luna whispered, resting her forehead against his chin.

She could hear Remus' heart race as he processed her words. "I've never stopped loving you either Luna."

And suddenly, that was all Luna needed to hear. She raised her head and inhaled quietly, leaning forward, ever closer.

"Wait," Remus breathed, his eyes wide. "Do you trust me?"

It gave Luna pause, but in her heart she knew what she felt. And if his confession hadn't convinced her, that question did it. Luna smiled, her tears spilling over and she leaned forward to pressed her lips against his.

Remus was still for a moment, as if disbelieving of the moment, but then he was threading his hands through her hair and returning her kiss as if their lives depended on it.

Luna was dizzy when Remus pulled away and he caressed her face in his hands, gently like she was made of crystal.

Remus was breathless as he stroked her hair and tears from her face. "Do you know, that when I first saw you hold Victoire, that day in the hospital, all I could think of was how perfect you looked, holding a tiny little blonde child in your arms. All I could think was that I could see you that way in the future, holding a child, only it would be ours, and how beautiful and perfect you would look. And I thought about how much I would regret it if I didn't live to see the day I could see you holding our newborn child in your arms one day. I saw you holding Victoire, and it all just became so clear, what it was that I stood to lose."

Luna could scarcely breath as she closed her eyes, Remus words dancing magic on her skin.

Luna oped her eyes and stared into Remus' eyes, his expression never as sincere as it looked now, a sense of urgency on his face.

"What are you saying Remus?" Luna breathed, her hands gripping his arms because in that moment he was all she could hold onto.

Remus breathed in, finding his courage, and then he was smiling at her, love and honesty in his eyes. "What if the next wedding we attend is ours?"

Luna blinked, letting Remus' question sink in. Remus Lupin was asking to marry her.

And then Luna was crying and laughing and nodding and so was Remus and he crashed his lips onto hers, the faint sound of music and dancing coming from within the tent. Luna wrapped her arms around Remus' neck, laughing as he kissed the tears from her face.

Remus held her close, and Luna was sure that he would never, ever let her go again.

oOo

 _Well, that's it for the final chapter! Only an epilogue and some 'author's notes' left! Be sure to follow me on tumblr if you'd like to see a post with a sneak speak regarding what you'll be reading in the epilogue! Username: dirigibleplumsposts_


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue

It was spring, and the weather was perfect. Or at the very least, as perfect as English weather could get.

Remus was resting on his favorite wooden bench on his favorite hill just on the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole. He liked this particular spot for a few reasons, for one the view. To his right he could just make out the tall and crooked architecture of the Burrow, facing forward if he strained his werewolf eyes hard enough he could make out the small and peacefull village, and to his left some ways away was the Lovegood house. It was a perfect spot to sit and contemplate on his life, on the bench decorated with the many intricate depictions of moons and stars that Luna had painted many years ago.

Remus smiled at the thought of his wife. His incredible, intelligent, kind, and beautiful wife. His.

He'd never thought that he'd be so lucky to have been able to call something so beautiful his own. By some kind twist of fate, Remus had been granted her. For a while many years ago he'd thought that he'd lost her permanently, although that was many years ago and a time that Remus rarely thought on those few dark months. It was brief, and long in the past, a striking difference to the loveliness that was his life now.

It hadn't been all easy of course, as any relationship it had taken work and dedication, but for Luna Remus had been willing to do anything. It was incredible to think how far they'd come.

It was to Remus' surprise that not long after he'd proposed to Luna that Remus had finally gotten a response on his manuscript. He remembered the shock when he'd opened the letter to find that there were actually people who wanted to help him publish his book and what's more, pay him a hefty pound in advanced. Remus very well may have remained still in shock had Luna not hugged him and cheered in congratulations.

Together, he and Luna had agreed that rather than use the money for the wedding, which they'd already agreed would be a small and intimate affair shared only with family and close friends, they'd saved the money away. They were doing alright by themselves anyway, with Remus' and Luna's meager wages. And after having decided that once they were married they would be moving into the Lovegood House, neither of them would have to worry about paying rent anylonger, so that was a weight of their shoulders.

Remus and Luna married, and not long after Slug and Jiggers' owner died, leaving everything to Luna. Luna took on ownership of the shop gracefully and transformed it into her own. Her work had been starting to get some excitement after many had seen what she was capable of creating for Harry and Ginny's wedding, and once she had her own shop, business for Luna was booming.

Remus had been ecstatic for Luna, glad that his love was flourishing in a craft she enjoyed. It made him begin to think on what he wanted to do for a living as well. Since the publishing of his book, a steady stream of money was coming in, and he was still working on the day to day at Flourish and Botts as well as the occasional article he was asked to write for The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler.

Remus' calling didn't come to him until one night when he'd been forced to go through his "fan mail" by Luna that he came across something interesting. He'd received a letter from a young wizard who'd been bitten by a werewolf as a young boy, similar to Remus. In his letter, the young man thanked Remus for writing his book as it had helped him work his way through his understanding of who was now. The boy had expressed his wish that he'd had such a book when he was younger to help guide him after having been cast out from his family. It was as Remus read this letter that it occurred to Remus that he could have done something better.

After many nights of encouragement and consultation with Luna, Remus decided to get to work on opening a school: a school for werewolves bitten young in an attempt to help guide them through their new existences as werewolves and perhaps prepare them for Hogwarts. Remus spent countless nights writing drafts and drafts of proposals for The Ministry, and finally after a year of work and convincing, and with support from Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus was allowed to create his school for young unwanted werewolves.

The school was constructed and with Bill as his partner, Remus taught. The two men offered the young werewolves a warm place to sleep, good food, education, safety, love, and guidance. It did not take long after Bill and Remus put the word out that the school was ready that a stream of young scared werewolves came to them, eager for a place to belong. Remus and Bill were, what one could call the headmasters of the school but they were also professors teaching their students how to control their accidental magic, some basics necessary for their success upon entering Hogwarts, and of course the many intricacies of what it meant to be a werewolf. Bill and Remus even managed to bring in frequent guest professors such as Luna, Kingsley, Harry, and others who had something to offer. Remus was also starting to venture into finding homes for his students outside of his school. So far he'd been successful twice, and soon to be a third time as he was currently in the process of helping Kingsley Shacklebolt and his wife adopt one of his younger students.

It was surreal for Remus to think that little over a decade ago, Remus was nothing more than a poor and lonely werewolf, fighting in a war he thought he had little chance of surviving and even if he did that he had no prospects for a happy life. He'd lost so much over the course of his life, friends, family, love, opportunities. Over a decade ago, Remus would have never believed that he would one day be the headmaster of his own school, was a published author, an occasional lecturer at Hogwarts, had more money than he knew what to do with, had helped changed magical decrees so that werewolves could be admitted to Hogwarts and attain good employment afterward, and be living in a beautiful home with his adored wife Luna Lovegood.

Speaking of Luna, the faint smell of eucalyptus drifted to his nose as well as the stronger scent of a young child, still not grown enough to have acquired a signature scent. It took a couple of minutes, but finally as the scents grew stronger Remus opened his eyes to see Luna climbing up the hill, her hand grasping that of a much smaller and younger figure besides her. Remus smiled at the sight of his wife and daughter approaching, and grinned after his little girl caught sight of him and laughed excitedly, letting her mother's hand go in favor of running wildly up the hill to where Remus waited for her with outstretched arms.

Remus caught his daughter in his arms and held her close to his chest, the younger girl laughing and squirming in his hold.

"Hello, Poppy darling," Remus growled playfully into his daughter's belly. The girl squealed with laughter, her long blonde hair swirling every which way, not unlike her mother's.

"Papa," Poppy laughed, her small hands gripping the hair on Remus' head. Remus carefully removed her hands from his hair and settled Poppy on his lap.

"Were you and mummy on a stroll?" Remus stared mesmerized at Poppy, still a little wave of pride in his heart at seeing his own amber eyes looking back at him in his daughter's lovely face.

Poppy nodded. "On a quest to find you mummy said."

"A quest, eh?" Remus asked, impressed his four year old could pronounce the word correctly.

"We were wondering where papa had run off to." Luna sighed happily, plopping herself on the bench next to Remus, her head resting on Remus' shoulder and her hand enveloping his after he placed it affectionately on her thigh.

"Just needed a little breather." Remus explained, kissing Poppy's forehead who then proceeded to wiggle out of his grasp to entertain herself picking flowers on the hill within her parent's view. "Were the others wondering where I was?"

"I think they were too distracted chasing after Victoire and James." Luna giggled.

"They're little hell-raisers." Remus chuckled. "How are Adam and Bee?" Remus was asking after two of his students who didn't have homes or relatives to go to for the Easter holiday, so Remus and Bill had decided to have them be included to the Sunday lunch being held at the Lovegood residence amongst their own friends and family.

"They're fine, having just as much fun with the other children. Bee's stuffed herself silly with jam crackers though, so I'd prepare for some belly aching tonight."

Remus grinned, "Do you think she'll learn her lesson?"

Luna smiled and tilted her head to look up at him. "Absolutely not."

Remus smiled softly down at his wife. It seemed not so long ago that she'd been nineteen and they had married on the start of a new year, two years after they'd first begun their romantic relationship. Luna was twenty-eight now, and as beautiful a woman as she'd ever been. Remus had been unsurprised to see what a wonderful mother she had become, and yet he was still in awe of her every day he saw her with Poppy. He couldn't believe there had ever been a time when he'd thought he could live without her. All that he and Luna had now had been a labour of love, nurtured and cultivated by both of them.

Luna raised an eyebrow questioningly, her left hand raising to touch his cheek. "What is it darling?"

Remus took her hand in his and kissed her palm. "Nothing. Just thinking about what a fool I was all those years ago."

Luna's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, confusion marring her face before realization hit her. "Oh, you mean those few months in which you thought you could live without me? Yes, you were quite the fool."

Remus laughed and leaned in close to press his lips to hers, only pulling away after he'd let Poppy squeal in disgust for a few moments.

"Shall we be heading back then? Before we let those Potters and Weasley's tear our house down?"

Luna laughed. "I think so."

"Let's go Poppy." Remus stood, standing and smiling at his daughter grinning up at him amongst the flowers and tall grass.

Luna sighed as she stood, accepting Remus' offered hand gratefully to help her stand. Remus pressed a kiss to the side of Luna's head and wrapped his arm around her as they followed Poppy to the other hills were the Lovegood house stood, his hand brushing against Luna's belly, only barely beginning to swell with her second pregnancy.

Remus smiled softly to himself, in awe of how it had turned out that he was someone good things happened to after all.

oOo

 _Finite. My hands are shaking as these last few words are written. Thank you so much to any and all of you who took the time to read, favorite, and/or review this story. Your encouragement has truly been inspiring and encouraged me to continue writing more for this community. I hope that you all enjoyed this story and will continue to follow me as I make my way through more stories. Read on to my final author's notes in the next post to chat a bit more and learn about my plans._


	22. Some Final Thoughts

Author's Notes:

Well, it's done. After about eight years of reading a slew of fanfictions (90% of which based in the Harry Potter world of course) and after years of _thinking_ about ideas for possible fics and entertaining the idea of writing one myself, I've finally done it! Part of me can't really believe I've actually finished. For a while there, I really thought I'd be a ghost author and leave everyone hanging, which I would have hated because as an avid Fanfic reader I hate when authors do this!

As I've mentioned before, while I've always loved reading and been fascinated by how words can take me to other beautiful worlds, I've rarely tried my own hand on the art of writing outside of the one poetry class I took in my four years as an undergrad. I'm no English major and by no means at all a professional writer or have any deep aspirations to be a writer, although I must say it's starting to become one of my favorite hobbies.

Although I'm aware this story wasn't perfect and as happy as I am with it, I'm aware that there are many opportunities in it for growth as far as my writing, character development, and plot go. Don't get me wrong, I love this first story I've written and am incredibly proud of myself for having accomplished it, and I sincerely hope you all found some enjoyment in reading it. However, I do still wish to become a stronger writer and will continue to write fanfictions in the HP community in the hopes of strengthening my skills as a writer.

With that said, I'm happy to say that I've already begun work on a new fanfic! I have a rough outline for the events of the story and I'm really excited about it.

Some details I feel I can share now (although some may be subject to change as I get into the thick of writing) are:

Luna and Draco will be the main relationship the story revolves around

Grimmauld Place will be important

The story will be told entirely from Draco's pov (my biggest challenge so far I think as I'm really concerned with understanding him well as a character in order to create a believable pov)

Remus will be involved as a main character as well because I adore him and just have to include him! (although he will not be involved romantically this time)

There may be a little Regulus appreciation sprinkled in throughout (because I love him and he's underappreciated in my opinion)

This story will be pre-Hogwarts battle, although leading up to the final battle

Some themes our main character (Draco) will be struggling with will be the significance of being branded a Death Eater for the rest of his life, how to find peace after loss, overcoming fear, and proving oneself by making the right choices

As I did with my previous work, my goal is to have finished at least ¾ of the story before I start posting chapters, so it will likely be awhile before you see a post from me on fanfiction. I promise I only do this to try and avoid being an inconsistent author as well as to have the ability to go back and edit and fix details in my work as necessary.

After the second week of December, I'll be on holiday until the first of February so I'll have about a month and half to just work so I'm hoping to write the bulk of it then.

However, I do have already at least 20 pages worth of some rough sections of the story as well as notes regarding details and timelines. For any of you that are curious, I'd be more than happy and willing to send you a small excerpt of a section I've already written, a little sneak peak if you will. Just send me a message and I'll send it your way! I'd love to hear any comments or advice you may have to offer me. Or even if you're interested in hearing more and want to help bounce around some ideas, please reach out to me! I'd more than appreciate it!

Also, I've started a tumblr! To be completely honest, I'm very new to tumblr, haha, but I'm planning to use it for updates on my fics, perhaps little sneak peaks or hints at what's to come, as well as to post all things Hogwarts related. I hope to use it as a way to connect with authors and readers. I'd also love any recommendations for accounts to follow as I really don't know where to start! So if you think you'd be into it, the username is dirigigbleplumsposts

So for now, that's all I got. I'm wishing you all lovely winter holidays and merry wishes and a happy new year!

-DP


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